China introduces new rules for food imports

Decree No. 280 from the General Administration of Customs of China (GAC), came into force on Monday (1), establishing new rules for the registration of foreign food manufacturers that supply the Chinese market.

The regulation replaces Decree No. 248, in force since 2021, and now governs procedures for the registration, renewal and customs declaration of food imported by China.

The main changes include the adoption of a risk-based registration system, the creation of collective registration, the inclusion of overseas cold storage facilities and the requirement for additional information in customs declarations.

The measure affects exporters of products such as meat, dairy products, eggs, aquatic products, honey, vegetable oils, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, dehydrated vegetables and foods for special purposes.

Registrations granted under Decree No. 248 remain valid and do not need to be resubmitted. Primary agricultural products such as fresh vegetables, oilseeds, green coffee, unroasted cocoa and dried beans will now be regulated under a specific rule published by GAC in 2025.

Decree No. 280 applies to foreign companies that produce, process or store food intended for export to China. Food additives, packaging materials and cross-border e-commerce operations remain outside the scope of the regulation.

Another important change is the inclusion of overseas cold storage facilities used to preserve animal-origin products and aquatic products before export. These facilities must now also be registered with Chinese authorities.

Registration through official recommendation remains mandatory for 17 categories considered to pose higher sanitary risk, including meat, dairy products, eggs, aquatic products, special dietary foods, edible oils, dried fruit and dehydrated vegetables. For other categories, manufacturers may apply for registration directly through the CIFER electronic system.

Registrations will be valid for five years and, in most cases, will be renewed automatically for another five years. The exception applies to producers of meat and meat products and manufacturers of edible bird’s nests, which will remain subject to renewal through a formal application.

Automatic renewal will also not be granted to companies with suspended registrations, companies undergoing correction of non-compliance issues, or companies located in countries subject to import restrictions for the corresponding product category.

Source: CNN Brasil

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