Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for the Aquaculture Products of Malta
I. Basis for inspection and quarantine
(1) The Import and Export Animal and Plant Quarantine Law of the People's Republic of China, the Implementation Regulations of the Import and Export Commodity Inspection Law of the People's Republic of China, the Implementation Regulations of the Import and Export Commodity Inspection Law of the People's Republic of China, the Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China, and the Implementation Regulations of the Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China;
(2) The Measures of the People's Republic of China for the Administration of Import and Export Food Safety and the Provisions of the People's Republic of China for the Registration of Overseas Production Enterprises of Imported Food;
(3) Protocol between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights of the Republic of Malta on Inspection, Quarantine and Veterinary Health Requirements of Maltese Aquaculture Products exported to China (hereinafter referred to as the Protocol).
2. Scope of imported products
Aquacultural aquatic animal products and their products, algae and other Marine plant products and their products for human consumption, excluding species listed in the appendix of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the List of Wildlife under Key State Protection of China (LSKPWA), living aquatic animals and aquatic animal and plant reproduction materials. The list of Maltese aquaculture products exported to China is attached.
3. Requirements of production enterprises
Maltese production enterprises (including processing enterprises and independent cold storage) and farms that export farmed aquatic products to China shall be approved by the Maltese authorities and subject to their effective supervision. The sanitary conditions of the production enterprises shall comply with the requirements of the relevant food safety laws and regulations of China and Malta.
According to Chinese laws and regulations, producers exporting aquaculture products to China shall be recommended for registration by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights of the Republic of Malta (hereinafter referred to as the Malta) to the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the China). No export to China without registration.
4. Requirements for imported products
Malta shall ensure that cultured aquatic products exported to China meet the following conditions:
(1) Culture in Maltese national waters;
(2) Raw materials and products are not in the areas covered by the following issues:
1. An aquatic animal disease in Malta that is listed in the List of Imported Animal Quarantine Diseases of the People's Republic of China and notifiable under the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) and is associated with the products of the Protocol causes, or is likely to cause, infection of aquaculture products exported to China;
2. Any major food safety incident in Malta that has affected or is likely to affect the export of cultured aquatic products to China;
3. The cultured aquatic products exported or intended to be exported by the Malta to China seriously violate the laws and regulations of China and Malta and the provisions of the Protocol;
4. A major public health event occurs in the production enterprise, such as the infection of employees with major infectious diseases, which has contaminated or may contaminate the imported cultured aquatic products, their packaging and means of transport;
5. The farming area is affected by contaminants, such as radioactive contaminants, which have contaminated or may contaminate farmed aquatic products exported to China.
(3) does not directly or indirectly (such as in feed) use drugs or additives prohibited by both parties, according to the provisions of the use of drugs or additives restricted or permitted by both parties. Disease-causing microorganisms, toxic and harmful substances and foreign bodies listed in the laws and regulations of China and Malta have not been found after examination by the competent authorities;
(4) All aquacultural aquatic products exported to China are, after quarantine inspection by the competent authorities, hygienic, safe and fit for human consumption, and no pathological indications of infectious or parasitic diseases have been found, and no aquatic animal diseases listed in the List of Diseases of Entry Animal Quarantine Inspection of the People's Republic of China and notifiable as stipulated by WOAH have been found;
(5) The whole process of breeding, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, transit and export shall meet the relevant health requirements and traceability requirements of both sides. At the same time, it should meet the relevant safety and health requirements of the cold chain.
Requirements for quarantine examination and approval
The import of Maltese cultured aquatic products shall be subject to quarantine examination and approval in advance and the Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit shall be obtained.
6. Certificate requirements
Each container of cultured aquatic products exported by Malta to China shall be accompanied by at least one original health certificate certifying that the products comply with the relevant laws and regulations on food safety of China and Malta and the relevant provisions of the Protocol. The Malta shall complete the information of the production enterprises involved in the whole process of breeding, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, transit and export on the health certificate, including the name and registration number of the farm, processing plant and independent cold storage, and shall not omit the information of the production enterprises involved in any of the above links.
The certificate must be printed in at least Chinese and English (English is required when completing the certificate). The format and content of the certificate shall be approved by both parties in advance. The Malta shall promptly provide the sample certificate, the seal of the official issuing authority and the handwriting of the signatory officer to the China for the record. If the content and format of the certificate sample, the seal of the official issuing authority and the handwriting of the signing officer are changed, the Malta shall file a record with the Chinea at least one month before the effective date.
7. Packaging and marking requirements
Farmed aquatic products exported to China (except whole tuna) shall have outer packaging and separate inner packaging. The internal and external packaging should be new materials that meet international health standards and meet the requirements of preventing pollution by external factors.
The internal and external packaging shall have firm, clear and legible labels in both Chinese and English, indicating the following: Product name and scientific name, specifications, production date, batch number, warranty period and storage conditions, production method (breeding), production region (the country or region where the breeding products are located), all production and processing enterprises involved (including independent cold storage) name, registration number and address (specific to the state/province/city), destination (must be marked as the People's Republic of China).
For cultured aquatic products exported to China in the form of pre-packaging, the pre-packaged Chinese labels shall comply with the requirements for the labels of imported pre-packaged food in China.
8. Other requirements
The Chinese Customs shall conduct import inspection and quarantine on cultured aquatic products exported to China.
Non-conforming products will be returned, destroyed or otherwise disposed of in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations. For production enterprises with serious problems or repeated failures, China will take measures such as strengthening inspection and quarantine or suspending imports.
It is hereby announced.
GACC
Nov. 22, 2023
