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Import Requirements and Documentation
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Normally, the Chinese importer (agent, distributor, joint-venture partner, or foreign-invested enterprise) will gather the documents necessary for importing goods and provide them to Chinese Customs agents. Necessary documents vary by product but may include standard documents such as a bill of lading, invoice, shipping list, customs declaration, insurance policy, and sales contract, as well as more specialized documents such as an import quota certificate for general commodities (where applicable), import license (where applicable), inspection certificate (where applicable), and other safety or quality licenses. 

To help U.S. exporters of food, fishery, and forestry products to China, the Foreign Agricultural Service, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including the Agricultural Affairs Office in Beijing, prepares about 100 reports each year. These reports include new developments in commodities markets, hotel and restaurant sector changes, and announcements and analyses of new regulatory requirements. China has eight ministries regulating food safety, quality, and trade. These agencies run the gamut of food regulation, inspection, packaging, canning, storage, labeling, quality control, record keeping, and import requirements. Chinese regulators are engaged in releasing new rules that reflect the requirements and support the implementation of the 2015 Food Safety Law.  

Some of the measures that Chinese ministries issue include registration requirements for grains and oilseeds (Decree 177) and live seafood (Decree 183) from the former General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), now the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China. Similarly, the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), now incorporated into the State Administration for Market Regulation, has issued registration requirements for infant formula recipes (CFDA Decree 26), health foods (CFDA Decree 22), foods for special medical purposes (CFDA Decree 24), and new requirements for online food trading.  

The General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) requires that a facility or establishment exporting food and agricultural products to the People’s Republic of China register with GACC prior to shipping.  There are two different systems for facility registration depending on the product being exported.  In addition, some facilities or establishments require assistance from a competent authority to complete registration depending on which products are being exported, while others can self-register.  Facilities and establishments are strongly encouraged to verify that all facility and product registration information is complete and correct prior to shipping product to China.  U.S. exporters are encouraged to reach out to the Agricultural Affairs Office in Beijing if they have any questions regarding facility registration at AgBeijing@usda.gov.

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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