Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for the Cultured Aquatic Products from Brunei
In accordance with Chinese laws and regulations and the inspection and quarantine requirements stipulated by the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism of Brunei Darussalam for cultured aquatic products imported from Brunei to China, the import of Brunei cultured aquatic products that meet the following requirements is permitted effective immediately:
I、Basis for Inspection and Quarantine
- The Laws of the People's Republic of China on Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine, its implementing regulations, the Law on the Inspection of Import and Export Commodities, its implementing regulations, the Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China, and its implementing regulations.
- The Administrative Measures for the Safety of Import and Export Food of the People's Republic of China and the Regulations on the Registration Management of Overseas Production Enterprises for Imported Food.
- The Protocol between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism of Brunei Darussalam regarding the inspection, quarantine, and veterinary health requirements for cultured aquatic products exported from Brunei to China (hereinafter referred to as "the Protocol").
II、Scope of Imported Products:
Aquatic animal products and their derivatives intended for human consumption, marine plant products such as algae and their derivatives, cultured artificially, excluding species listed in the CITES Appendices and the Chinese National Key Protected Wild Animal List (LSKPWA), live aquatic animals, and reproductive materials of aquatic animals and plants. The catalog of Brunei cultured aquatic products for export to China is provided in the annex.
III. Requirements for Production Enterprises:
Brunei production enterprises exporting cultured aquatic products to China (including processing enterprises and independent cold storages) and aquaculture farms must be officially approved and effectively supervised by Brunei authorities. The sanitary conditions of these enterprises should comply with the food safety laws and regulations of both China and Brunei.
As per Chinese laws and regulations, production enterprises exporting cultured aquatic products to China must be recommended for registration by the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism of Brunei Darussalam (hereinafter referred to as the Brunei Party) to the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the Chinese Party). Unregistered enterprises are not allowed to export to China.
IV、Requirements for Imported Products：
The Brunei side must ensure that the cultured aquatic products exported to China meet the following conditions:
1. Cultivated in Brunei's national waters.
2. The raw materials and products have not been in areas with the following issues:
2.1 Occurrences in Brunei of aquatic animal diseases listed in the "Catalog of Entry-Exit Animal Quarantine Diseases of the People's Republic of China" and those required to be notified by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), affecting or potentially affecting the cultured aquatic products exported to China.
2.2 Any major food safety incidents in Brunei that have affected or could affect the cultured aquatic products.
2.3 Serious violations by the Brunei side in the exported or to-be-exported cultured aquatic products against the laws and regulations of China and Brunei and the stipulations of "the Protocol."
2.4 Major public health incidents at the production enterprises, such as employee infections with serious infectious diseases, contaminating or potentially contaminating the cultured aquatic products, their packaging, or transportation tools.
2.5 Contamination of the aquaculture area by pollutants, such as radioactive substances, contaminating or potentially contaminating the cultured aquatic products.
3. Neither directly nor indirectly (such as through feed additives) use any drugs or additives prohibited by both parties. Comply with the regulations regarding the use of drugs or additives limited or allowed by both parties. After inspection by competent authorities, no pathogenic microorganisms, toxic or harmful substances, and foreign matters listed in the laws and regulations of China and Brunei are found.
4. All cultured aquatic products exported to China must pass the inspection and quarantine by the competent authorities, being hygienic, safe, and suitable for human consumption. No pathological signs of infectious or parasitic diseases are found, nor any aquatic animal diseases listed in the "Catalog of Entry-Exit Animal Quarantine Diseases of the People's Republic of China" and those required to be notified by WOAH.
5. The entire process of cultivation, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, transshipment, and export must comply with the relevant health and traceability requirements of both parties, as well as meet the relevant safety and hygiene requirements of the cold chain.
V、Quarantine Approval Requirements
For the import of cultured aquatic products from Brunei, it is required to undergo quarantine approval in advance and obtain the "Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit.
VI、Certificate Requirements
Each batch (every container or vehicle) of cultured aquatic products exported from Brunei to China must be accompanied by at least one original health certificate. This certificate should verify that the batch complies with the relevant food safety laws and regulations of both China and Brunei, as well as the stipulations of "the Protocol." The Brunei side is required to completely fill in the health certificate with information about the production enterprises involved in the entire process, including cultivation, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, transshipment, and export. This includes names and registration numbers of aquaculture farms, processing plants, and independent cold storages, ensuring no omission of any production enterprise involved in these stages.
The certificate must be printed in both Chinese and English (with English being a mandatory language when filling out the certificate). The format and content of the certificate must be approved by both parties beforehand. The Brunei side should promptly provide the Chinese side with samples of the health certificate, official issuing authority's seal, and the handwriting of the signing officer for record-keeping. Should there be any changes in the content and format of the health certificate sample, the official issuing authority's seal, and the handwriting of the signing officer, the Brunei side must register these changes with the Chinese side at least one month before they take effect.
VII、Packaging and Labeling Requirements
Cultured aquatic products exported to China should have both external and internal packaging. The packaging materials must be new and conform to international health standards, designed to prevent contamination from external factors.
Both internal and external packaging should have durable, clear, and easily identifiable labels in both Chinese and English, indicating the following information: product name and scientific name, specifications, production date, batch number, shelf life and storage conditions, production method (cultivation), production area (country or region where the aquaculture product is from), names, registration numbers, and addresses (specific to state/province/city) of all involved production and processing enterprises (including independent cold storages), and the destination (must be marked as the People's Republic of China).
For aquatic products exported to China in pre-packaged form, the Chinese labels on the pre-packaging must comply with China's import requirements for pre-packaged food labels.
VIII、Other Requirements
The Chinese customs will implement import inspection and quarantine for cultured aquatic products exported to China.
For non-compliant products, measures such as return, destruction, or other treatments will be implemented in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations. For production enterprises that experience severe issues or repeated non-compliance, the Chinese side will take measures such as intensified inspection and quarantine or suspension of imports.
This Chinese content is sourced from the official website of the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC). The English translation is provided by our company for reference only. If you wish to learn more about the registration details of relevant overseas production enterprises, please feel free to contact us.
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