Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for saffrons from Uzbekistan to China
1. Inspection and quarantine basis
(I) "Biosafety Law of the People's Republic of China";
(II) "Law of the People's Republic of China on Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine" and its implementing regulations;
(III) "Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China" and its implementing regulations;
(IV) "Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Entry and Exit Chinese Medicinal Materials Quarantine";
(V) "Protocol on Plant Quarantine Requirements for the Export of Uzbek Saffron to China between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan".
2. Names of commodities allowed to enter the country
The saffron in this announcement refers to the dried stigma of the iris plant Crocus sativus (scientific name: Crocus sativus; English name: saffron) that grows wild or cultivated in Uzbekistan.
3. Enterprise Registration
The planting bases and processing and packaging plants for export to China should be reviewed and filed with the Plant Protection and Quarantine Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan and registered with the approval of the Chinese Customs. The registration information should include the name, address and registration number so that the exported goods can be accurately traced when they do not comply with the relevant provisions of this announcement. Before starting trade, the Plant Protection and Quarantine Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan should provide the registration list to the Chinese Customs, which will be published on the website of the Chinese Customs after review and approval.
4. List of quarantine pests of concern
(1) Tobacco rattle virus
(2) Bean yellow mosaic virus（BYMV）
(3) Ditylenchus dipsaci
5. Pre-export management
(I) Production and processing requirements.
1. The planting bases for export to China should establish a sound quality management system and traceability management system under the supervision of the Plant Protection and Quarantine Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan, implement good agricultural practices (GAP), maintain planting sanitation conditions, such as no pollution sources that affect saffron production in the surrounding area, timely cleaning of plant diseased residues, etc., and implement integrated pest management (IPM), including pest monitoring and investigation, physical, chemical or biological control, and other prevention and control measures such as agricultural operations.
2. Planting bases exported to China should carry out pest monitoring and integrated management for quarantine pests of concern to China Customs under the supervision of the Plant Protection and Quarantine Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan. Pest monitoring and control should be carried out under the guidance of professional technicians. Technicians should receive training from the Plant Protection and Quarantine Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan or its authorized agencies.
3. Planting bases exported to China should keep pest monitoring and control records for at least two years and provide them to China Customs upon request. Pest monitoring and control records should at least include detailed information such as the monitoring time, the names of the pests found, the control measures taken, and the date of use, active ingredients and concentration of the chemicals used.
4. The processing, packaging, storage and shipment of saffron exported to China must be carried out under the quarantine supervision of the Plant Protection and Quarantine Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan or its authorized officials.
5. The processing and packaging factory for saffron exported to China should be clean and hygienic, the ground should be hardened, and there should be a raw material field and finished product warehouse.
6. The storage, processing, packaging, and storage areas of the imported saffron should be relatively independent and reasonably laid out, and should be isolated from the living area and at an appropriate distance.
7. During the processing of the imported saffron, it should be sorted, screened, dried, and other processes to ensure that it does not carry soil, weed seeds, or other harmful organisms.
(II) Packaging requirements.
1. The packaging materials should be clean, hygienic, unused, and meet the relevant plant quarantine requirements of China. If wooden packaging is used, it must comply with the requirements of the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM 15).
2. Each packaging box should be marked in Chinese or English with traceability information such as the product name, country, origin, name of the planting base or its registration number, name of the processing and packaging plant or its registration number. Each packaging box should be marked with "输往中华人民共和国" or "Exported to the People's Republic of China" in Chinese or English.
3. The transport vehicle or container loaded with the imported saffron must be checked for good sanitary conditions during shipment. The transport vehicle or container should be sealed and its seal should be intact when arriving at the Chinese entry port.
4. The processing and packaging factory should establish a traceability system to ensure that the processing and packaging date, the name of the source planting base, the export date, the export quantity, the import country, the transport vehicle or container number and other information of the exported saffron can be traced.
(III) Pre-export inspection and quarantine and certificate requirements.
1. The Plant Protection and Quarantine Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan shall implement pre-export quarantine for the exported saffron to ensure that it does not carry quarantine pests of concern to the Chinese Customs.
2. If quarantine pests, plant residues or soil of concern to the Chinese Customs are found, the entire batch of goods shall not be exported to China.
3. For saffrons exported to China that have passed the quarantine, the Plant Protection and Quarantine Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan shall issue a phytosanitary certificate in accordance with the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 12 (ISPM 12), indicating the name of the planting base and the processing and packaging factory or its registration number and the container number, and fill in the following additional statement: "This consignment complies with the requirements specified in the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Saffrons from Uzbekistan to China, and is free from quarantine pests of concern to China."
4. Before the project starts, the Plant Protection and Quarantine Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan shall provide a sample of the phytosanitary certificate to the Chinese Customs for confirmation and filing.
6. Entry Inspection and Quarantine and Disqualified Treatment
When saffrons exported to China arrive at the Chinese entry port, the Chinese Customs shall implement inspection and quarantine in accordance with the following requirements:
(I) Verification of relevant certificates and labels.
1. Verify whether the phytosanitary certificate complies with the provisions of Article 5, Item (3) of this Announcement.
2. Check whether the markings on the packaging boxes and pallets comply with the provisions of Article 5, Item (2) of this Announcement.
(II) Cargo inspection.
According to the relevant laws, administrative regulations, rules, etc., and in combination with the relevant requirements of this Announcement, quarantine shall be implemented on imported saffron. If it passes the quarantine, it shall be allowed to enter the country.
(III) Disqualified treatment.
1. If it is found that it comes from an unregistered planting base or processing and packaging factory, the batch of goods shall not be allowed to enter the country.
2. If quarantine pests or other quarantine pests of concern to the Chinese Customs are found, or soil, plant residues, etc. are found, the batch of goods shall be returned, destroyed or quarantined and pest-free.
3. If it is found that it does not meet the national standards for food and drug safety in China, the batch of goods shall be returned or destroyed.
4. If the above-mentioned unqualified situations are found, the Chinese Customs will immediately notify the Plant Protection and Quarantine Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan, and suspend the import of saffron from the relevant planting bases and processing and packaging factories as appropriate. The Plant Protection and Quarantine Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan should identify the reasons for non-compliance and take corrective measures to prevent similar situations from happening again. China Customs will decide whether to cancel the suspension measures based on the rectification results of the Plant Protection and Quarantine Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan.
GACC
July 15, 2024
