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.