Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for the Edible Aquatic Animals from United Arab Emirates to China
1. Basis for inspection and quarantine
(1) Biosecurity Law of the People's Republic of China;
(2) The Law of the People's Republic of China on Quarantine of Animals and Plants at Entry and Exit and its Implementing Regulations;
(3) "Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China" and its implementing regulations;
(4) "Import and Export Commodity Inspection Law of the People's Republic of China" and its implementing regulations;
(5) "Imported Aquatic Animals Inspection and Quarantine Supervision and Administration Measures";
(6) "General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment on the UAE Edible aquatic animals exported to China quarantine and health requirements".
2. The scope of imported products
The Edible aquatic animals referred to in this announcement refer to the live aquatic animals originated from the UAE and exported to China for human consumption, the production methods include wild fishing and artificial breeding, the specific species do not include the species listed in the Appendix of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the List of Wild Animals under State Key Protection in China, and the List of Invasive Species for Key Management, and the list of relevant species is published on the website of the Chinese Customs. The list is published on the website of China Customs.
3. Requirements for Producers
Producers exporting edible aquatic animals to China (including farms and transshipment and packaging farms) shall fulfill the following requirements:
(1) Approved and effectively supervised by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment of the UAE, recommended to the GACC and qualified for registration with the GACC. The list of producers obtaining registration will be published on the website of China Customs.
(2) Edible aquatic animals exported to China shall comply with the quarantine and safety and health requirements for Edible aquatic animals between China and the UAE.
(3) Producers shall establish effective food hygiene and safety management in accordance with the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principle and the traceability system for Edible aquatic animals, and ensure that the whole process of breeding, catching, packing, storing, transporting, transshipment and exporting of Edible aquatic animals complies with the relevant hygiene and traceability requirements of both sides.
(4) Be under the supervision of the competent authorities of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment of the UAE, comply with the public health procedures issued by the Ministry of Health and Prevention of the UAE, and the employees of the enterprise follow the preventive and precautionary measures against epidemic and global epidemics.
4. Requirements for Imported Products
(1) Wild-caught aquatic animals for food consumption exported to China shall be legally caught in the national or international waters of the UAE; if artificially farmed, they shall be farmed in the national waters of the UAE.
(2) No drugs prohibited by both sides shall be used during the breeding, fishing, temporary rearing, packaging and transportation of Edible aquatic animals exported to China. Drugs that are restricted or allowed to be used by both sides shall be used according to the regulations.
(3) The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment of the UAE shall carry out the monitoring of animal diseases, toxic and harmful substances and food-borne microorganisms of Edible aquatic animals exported to China, and the monitoring results shall be in line with the requirements of China's safety and health standards.
5. Packaging and labeling requirements
(1) Edible aquatic animals exported to China from different fishing areas or registered enterprises shall be packed separately, and Edible aquatic animals of different species shall be packed independently.
(2) Packaging containers shall be brand new or sterilized and able to meet the survival and welfare needs of animals.
(3) The materials used for packaging, water or ice and bedding materials shall meet the safety and hygiene requirements, and shall not contain pathogenic microorganisms, poisonous and harmful substances that jeopardize the health of animals and plants and human beings, as well as aquatic organisms that may damage the ecological environment of the water body.
(4) the outer packaging should be affixed with Chinese labels, including: aquatic animal name and scientific name, fishing waters (only wild-caught aquatic animals apply), farms / packaging farms and the name of the exporting company, registration number and other information, and must be labeled destination for the People's Republic of China.
6. Pre-export inspection and quarantine and certificate requirements
6.1 Edible aquatic animals before export by the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment official inspection officer clinical examination to confirm the health of the animal infectious diseases, parasitic disease clinical symptoms are not found, suitable for export.
6.2 The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment of the UAE shall submit a sample of the health certificate and a sample of the official seal of the issuing organization to the Chinese Customs in advance, which shall come into effect upon confirmation by the Chinese Customs. Each consignment of Edible aquatic animals for export to China shall be accompanied by a health certificate issued by the competent authority of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment of the UAE, which shall be one original and two copies, and the original shall be accompanied with the consignment. The health certificate shall be printed in English or Chinese, handwritten (except for the signature of the inspection official) or altered shall not be valid.
The health certificate shall include at least the following:
(1) Species of aquatic animal for food (scientific name and Latin name), type of package, and quantity or weight;
(2) The information that the food aquatic animal is farmed, the name of the farm and the approval number;
(3) Where the aquatic animal for human consumption is wild-caught, specific information on the catching waters, the name of the packaging enterprise and the approval number;
(4) Name and address of exporter and importer;
(5) The time of departure, port of entry, and the type and number of the means of transportation;
(6) Declaration that the aquatic animals for food consumption comply with the relevant requirements stipulated in the Protocol;
(7) Declaration of fitness for human consumption;
(8) The date of issuance of the certificate, the signature or stamp of the name of the official veterinarian of the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment;
(9) The official seal or verification QR code of the competent authority of the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.
7. Entry inspection and quarantine requirements
7.1 Quarantine Approval.
If the import of Edible aquatic animals from the UAE requires import quarantine approval, it shall go through the quarantine approval procedures in advance and obtain the "Import Animal and Plant Quarantine License".
7.2 Certificate verification.
(1) Verify whether the Import Animal and Plant Quarantine License is attached.
(2) Verify whether it comes from the registered enterprise.
(3) Verify whether the health certificate is true and effective.
7.3 Cargo Inspection.
China Customs implements inspection and quarantine on imported UAE Edible aquatic animals in accordance with relevant laws, administrative regulations, rules and regulations, and in conjunction with this requirement. If they pass inspection and quarantine, they are allowed to enter the country.
7.4 Handling of unqualified cases.
(1) In the process of verification of certificates and goods inspection found to be unqualified, in accordance with relevant Chinese laws and regulations to deal with.
(2) If major safety and health problems are found, the Chinese Customs will take measures in accordance with the law to strengthen inspection and quarantine, suspend relevant enterprises from exporting to China, and suspend UAE from exporting relevant edible aquatic animals to China.
8. Other Requirements
When the following occurs:
(1) Diseases of aquatic animals listed in the List of Diseases of Imported Animals Quarantine and Disease of the People's Republic of China and the diseases required by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) that must be notified in relation to the Protocol occur in the UAE, so that the Edible aquatic animals to be exported to China are infected or may be infected.
(2) Any major food safety incident in the UAE that has affected or is likely to affect Edible aquatic animals exported to China.
(3) Serious violation of Chinese and UAE laws and regulations and the provisions of the Protocol by the UAE Edible aquatic animals exported to China.
(4) A major public health incident occurs in the UAE production enterprise, for example, the employee is infected with a major infectious disease, which has contaminated or is likely to contaminate the Edible aquatic animals to be exported to China as well as their packaging and means of transportation.
(5) The fishing area of Edible aquatic animals in the UAE is affected by contamination such as radioactive pollutants, which has contaminated or may contaminate Edible aquatic animals exported to China.
The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment of the UAE shall immediately stop the export of all Edible aquatic animals to China from the corresponding fishing areas, farms, transshipment and packaging farms, regions or even the whole country, recall the products in question and those with potential risks, and notify the Chinese Customs and provide detailed information on the investigation of the incident, the disposition of the situation, and the next step of control measures. Only after confirming that the above risks have been eliminated or reduced to a controllable level, can food aquatic animal exports to China be resumed.
GACC
June 20, 2024
