Dried chilies from Pakistan that meet the following relevant requirements are permitted to be imported into China

General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China

Announcement No. 96, 2023

In accordance with relevant laws and regulations of China and the Protocol on Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Dried Chilies from Pakistan to China between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of National Food Security and Research of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, dried chilies from Pakistan that meet the following relevant requirements are permitted to be imported into China, effective immediately.

I. Inspection and Quarantine Basis

(I) Biosafety Law of the People’s Republic of China;

(II) Law of the People's Republic of China on the 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) Protocol on Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Dried Chilies from Pakistan to China between the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China and the Ministry of National Food Security and Research of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

II. Permitted Commodities

The dried chilies in this Announcement refer to products made from edible chilies (Capsicum annuum L.) planted in Pakistan, processed by natural sun drying or other drying processes.

III. Enterprise Registration

The planting bases and processing and packaging enterprises exporting dried chilies to China shall be registered and approved by the Department of Plant Protection under the Ministry of National Food Security and Research of Pakistan (hereinafter referred to as the Pakistani side) and approved for registration by the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the Chinese side). The registration information shall include the name, address and registration number. The Pakistani side shall provide the registration list to the Chinese side before each export season. After examination and approval by the Chinese side, the registration list will be published on the website of the General Administration of Customs.

IV. List of Quarantine Pests of Concern to the Chinese Side

1. Callosobruchus maculatus

2. Trogoderma granarium

3. Orobanche spp.

4. Potato virus A (PVA)

5. Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV)

6. Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV)

7. Tomato ringspot virus (ToRSV)

8. Verticillium dahliae

V. Pre-export Management

(I) Planting base management

1. Export planting bases shall establish a complete quality management system and traceability management system under the supervision of the Pakistani side, implement good agricultural practices, maintain planting hygiene conditions such as no surrounding pollution sources affecting chili production, timely removal of plant residues, etc., and implement integrated pest management including monitoring, chemical or biological control and agronomic measures to control pests of concern.

2. For Tomato spotted wilt virus and Tomato ringspot virus, the exported dried chilies shall come from pest free areas or pest free production sites recognized by the Chinese side. The establishment of pest free areas or sites shall follow the principles of ISPM 10 and be jointly approved by the Chinese and Pakistani sides. The Pakistani side shall provide relevant information on the maintenance of pest free areas or sites to the Chinese side in a timely manner.

3. The Pakistani side shall carry out monitoring of pests of concern to the Chinese side.

4. Monitoring and control of pests in planting bases for export shall be completed under the guidance of technicians who have received training from the Pakistani side or its authorized agencies.

5. Export planting bases shall keep records of pest monitoring and control, and shall provide them to the Chinese side upon request. The control records shall include information such as the name, active ingredient, date, concentration and amount of chemical pesticides used during the growing season.

(II) Management of processing and packaging enterprises

1. The processing, packaging, storage and shipping of dried chilies for export to China shall be carried out under the supervision of quarantine officers from the Pakistani side or its authorized agencies.

2. Processing and packaging enterprises shall have good sanitary conditions, hardened floors, and separate areas for raw materials and finished products.

3. The storage, processing, packaging and warehousing areas for export dried chilies shall be relatively independent, with reasonable layout and isolation measures from living areas.

4. Export dried chilies shall go through processes such as manual sorting, screening and cleaning during processing to ensure no plant residues or soil.

5. Processing and packaging enterprises shall establish a traceability system to ensure traceability of exported dried chilies back to the registered planting bases, and keep records of processing and packaging dates, planting base name or registration number, quantity, export date, export quantity, destination country, transport vehicle or container number, etc.

(III) Packaging requirements

1. Packaging materials shall be clean and unused, and comply with China's phytosanitary requirements.

2. Traceable information such as product name, origin (district, city or county), country, planting base name and registration number, processing and packaging enterprise name and registration number shall be marked in English on each package. "Exported to the People's Republic of China" or equivalent shall be marked in Chinese or English on each package. 

3. If using wood packaging, it shall meet the requirements of ISPM 15.

4. The transport vehicles or containers loading dried chilies for export shall be inspected for good sanitary conditions at the time of loading. The transport vehicles or containers shall be sealed, and the seals shall remain intact upon arrival at the port of entry in China.

(IV) Pre-export inspection and quarantine

1. Within the first two years of trade, the Pakistani side shall sample and inspect packaged dried chilies for export at the rate of 2%. If there are no phytosanitary issues within the two years, the sampling rate can be reduced to 1%.

2. If any pests of concern, branches, leaves or soil are found, the consignment shall not be exported to China. The Pakistani side shall investigate the causes and take corrective actions. Meanwhile, the interception records shall be kept and provided to the Chinese side upon request.

(V) Phytosanitary certificate requirements 

1. For dried chilies passed inspection and quarantine, the Pakistani side shall issue phytosanitary certificates indicating the planting base name or registration number and processing and packaging enterprise name or registration number, with the additional declaration: "This consignment complies with the requirements specified in the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Dried Chilies from Pakistan to China, and is free from quarantine pests of concern to China."

2. Prior to commencement of trade, the Pakistani side shall provide phytosanitary certificate samples to the Chinese side for confirmation and record.

VI. Inspection and Quarantine at Port of Entry and Treatment for Non-Compliance

Dried chilies arriving at ports of entry in China shall be subject to inspection and quarantine by China Customs in accordance with the following requirements:

(I) Verification of certificates and markings

1. Verify that the phytosanitary certificates meet the requirements in Article V (V) of this Announcement.

2. Verify that the package markings meet the requirements in Article V (III) of this Announcement.

(II) Inspection of commodities

In accordance with relevant laws, regulations and rules, and based on relevant requirements of this Announcement, inspect and quarantine imported dried chilies. Release those passed inspection and quarantine.

(III) Treatment for non-compliance

1. Consignments from unregistered planting bases or processing and packaging enterprises shall not be permitted entry.

2. Consignments without valid phytosanitary certificates shall be returned or destroyed.

3. Consignments with live quarantine pests of concern or other quarantine pests shall be treated by disinfection, returned or destroyed.

4. Consignments that do not meet China's national food safety standards shall be returned or destroyed.

5. Other cases of non-compliance shall be handled in accordance with relevant Chinese laws and regulations.

6. In case of the above mentioned non-compliance, the Chinese side shall promptly notify the Pakistani side and temporarily suspend the import of dried chilies from the relevant planting bases or processing and packaging enterprises of the export season depending on the circumstances. The Pakistani side shall investigate the causes of non-compliance and take corrective actions. The Chinese side will decide whether to lift the suspension based on the rectification results of the Pakistani side.

This Announcement is hereby issued.

General Administration of Customs

August 10, 2023