Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Export of Wild Animal-derived Aquatic Products from Malta to China
Pursuant to the provisions on inspection and hygiene requirements for wild animal-derived aquatic products jointly established by the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) and the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights of the Republic of Malta, with immediate effect, the importation of wild animal-derived aquatic products from Malta that meet the following relevant requirements is permitted:
I. Basis for Inspection and Quarantine
(1) Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China and its Implementation Regulations, Law of the People's Republic of China on the Entry-Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine and its Implementation Regulations, Law of the People's Republic of China on the Inspection of Imported and Exported Commodities and its Implementation Regulations.
(2) Measures for the Administration of Food Safety of Imported and Exported Goods of the People's Republic of China, Regulations on the Registration Administration of Overseas Production Enterprises of Imported Food of the People's Republic of China.
(3) Protocol between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights of the Republic of Malta on Inspection and Hygiene Requirements for Wild Animal-Derived Aquatic Products Exported from Malta to China (hereinafter referred to as the "Protocol").
II. Scope of Imported Products
Wild animal-derived aquatic products refer to wild aquatic animal products and their processed products intended for human consumption, excluding amphibians, reptiles, aquatic mammals, species listed in the Appendices to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the List of Key Protected Wild Animals in China, and live aquatic animals.
III. Requirements for Production Enterprises
Production enterprises (including production, processing, and storage enterprises) exporting wild animal-derived aquatic products to China shall be officially approved and effectively supervised by the Maltese competent authority. The food safety and hygiene management and protection system of production enterprises shall comply with the requirements of China's relevant food safety laws and regulations.
Production enterprises exporting wild animal-derived aquatic products to China shall be recommended for registration with GACC by the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights of the Republic of Malta. No export to China shall be conducted without registration.
IV. Requirements for Imported Products
The Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights of the Republic of Malta shall ensure that wild animal-derived aquatic products exported to China meet the following conditions:
1. Legally caught in national or international waters and in compliance with the rules of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).
2. Neither the raw materials nor the products shall be involved in any of the following circumstances:
(1) Wild animal-derived aquatic products already exported or to be exported from Malta to China have seriously violated China's relevant food safety laws and regulations as well as the provisions of the Protocol.
(2) Aquatic animal diseases listed in the List of Animal Quarantine Diseases for Entry into the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the "List") and those required to be notified by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) that are related to the products under the Protocol have occurred in Malta, which have seriously affected the safety of wild animal-derived aquatic products exported to China.
(3) Major food safety incidents have occurred in Malta, or major public health incidents have occurred in production enterprises, or fishing waters have been affected by pollutants, which have seriously affected the safety of wild animal-derived aquatic products exported to China.
3. No drugs or additives prohibited by China shall be used directly or indirectly, and drugs or additives restricted or permitted by China shall be used in accordance with relevant provisions.
4. After inspection and quarantine by the competent authority, no pathogenic microorganisms, toxic and harmful substances, or foreign objects specified in China's laws and regulations shall be detected; no infectious diseases, parasitic diseases, or aquatic animal diseases listed in the List or required to be notified by WOAH shall be detected.
5. The entire production process (including fishing, production and processing, packaging, storage, transportation, transshipment, and export) shall comply with China's relevant safety and hygiene requirements and traceability requirements.
6. The packaging, labeling, and marking of products shall comply with China's national food safety standards and relevant regulations on the administration of imported food.
V. Certificate Requirements
The Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights of the Republic of Malta shall, in accordance with the requirements of GACC, conduct inspection and quarantine on wild animal-derived aquatic products exported to China, and issue a mutually confirmed health certificate for each batch of such products exported to China, certifying that the batch of products meets the relevant provisions of China's food safety laws and regulations. The health certificate shall be printed in Chinese and English (English is the mandatory language when filling out the certificate).
The health certificate shall fully include the information of the production enterprise of the wild animal-derived aquatic products exported to China. The Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights of the Republic of Malta shall promptly provide GACC with samples of the health certificate and official seals for the record. In case of any changes, the Ministry shall file such changes with GACC at least one month prior to their entry into force.
VI. Other Requirements
GACC shall conduct inspection and quarantine on wild animal-derived aquatic products exported to China in accordance with China's laws and regulations, standards, and the Protocol.
For non-conforming products, destruction, return, or other disposal measures shall be implemented. For production enterprises that have encountered serious problems or repeated non-conformity issues, GACC may take measures such as strengthened inspection and quarantine or suspension of importation.
General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC)
November 24, 2025
