Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1
These Regulations are formulated in accordance with the Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China and its Implementing Regulations, the Law of the People's Republic of China on Import and Export Commodity Inspection and its Implementing Regulations, the Law of the People's Republic of China on Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine and its Implementing Regulations, the Special Provisions of the State Council on Strengthening the Supervision and Management of Safety of Food and Other Products, and other relevant laws and administrative regulations, for the purpose of strengthening the registration management of overseas food production enterprises for importation into China.
Article 2
These Regulations apply to the registration management of overseas enterprises that produce, process, or store food for export to China (hereinafter collectively referred to as "overseas food production enterprises for importation").
The overseas food production enterprises for importation referred to in the preceding paragraph shall not include enterprises that produce, process, or store food additives or food-related products.
Article 3
The General Administration of Customs (GAC) shall be uniformly responsible for the registration management of overseas food production enterprises for importation.
Article 4
Overseas food production enterprises for importation shall be registered with the GAC.
Article 5
The GAC shall, in accordance with the principle of risk management, conduct assessments and reviews of the food safety management system and food safety status of the country (region) where the overseas food production enterprise is located, and, in light of the relevant food risk levels, implement category-based management of overseas food production enterprises for importation, and determine the corresponding registration methods, application materials, review procedures, and other registration management requirements.
If, through risk assessment or evidence, it is found that the risks associated with imported food have changed, the GAC may adjust the corresponding registration management requirements.
Chapter II Registration Conditions and Procedures
Article 6
The GAC shall, based on analyses of factors such as the source of raw materials, production and processing techniques, historical food safety data, consumer groups, and consumption patterns, and in accordance with international practices, determine and publish a catalogue of imported foods requiring official recommendation for registration (hereinafter referred to as the "Catalogue").
Article 7
The registration conditions for overseas food production enterprises for importation are as follows:
(1) They have been approved and established by the competent authority of the country (region) where they are located and are under its effective supervision;
(2) They have established effective food safety and hygiene management and protection systems, lawfully produce and export in the country (region) where they are located, and ensure that the food exported to China complies with relevant Chinese laws, regulations, and national food safety standards;
(3) They comply with the relevant inspection and quarantine requirements agreed upon between the GAC and the competent authority of the country (region) where they are located.
Overseas production enterprises of foods included in the Catalogue shall also obtain a recommendation from the competent authority of the country (region) where they are located.
Article 8
For overseas production enterprises of foods included in the Catalogue, the competent authority of the country (region) where they are located shall conduct audits and inspections of the enterprises, and issue audit and inspection reports and letters of recommendation for those that meet the registration requirements.
Article 9
Overseas food production enterprises for importation shall, by themselves or through an agent, submit the following application materials to the GAC:
(1) Enterprise registration application information;
(2) Enterprise identity documents, such as business licenses issued by the competent authority of the country (region) where they are located or certificates issued thereby;
(3) A declaration by the enterprise confirming its compliance with the requirements of these Regulations.
Overseas production enterprises of foods included in the Catalogue shall also submit the audit and inspection reports and letters of recommendation issued by the competent authority of the country (region) where they are located.
If necessary, the GAC may require the enterprise to provide materials regarding its food safety and hygiene protection system, production types, production capacity, etc.
Article 10
The enterprise registration application information shall include the enterprise name, country (region) of location, production site address, legal representative, contact person, contact information, registration number approved by the competent authority of the country (region) where it is located, and the categories of food for which registration is applied.
Article 11
Registration application materials shall be in Chinese or English.
The competent authority of the country (region) where the enterprise is located and the overseas food production enterprise for importation shall be responsible for the authenticity, completeness, and legality of the relevant materials.
Article 12
The GAC shall, based on the risk level of imported food safety, conduct assessment and review of overseas food production enterprises applying for registration by itself or through authorized institutions, in the form of document review, video inspection, on-site inspection, or a combination thereof.
Overseas food production enterprises for importation and the competent authorities of the countries (regions) where they are located shall assist in the above assessment and review work.
Article 13
Based on the assessment and review results, the GAC shall register overseas food production enterprises that meet the requirements and issue them a GAC registration number, and notify the enterprise in writing; for those that do not meet the requirements, the GAC shall not register them and shall notify the enterprise in writing accordingly.
Article 14
When exporting food to China, enterprises that have obtained registration shall indicate on the food packaging their GAC registration number or the registration number approved by the competent authority of the country (region) where they are located.
Article 15
The registration of overseas food production enterprises for importation shall be valid for five (5) years.
When granting registration, the GAC shall determine the start and end dates of the registration validity period.
Article 16
The GAC shall publish a unified list of overseas food production enterprises that have obtained registration for importation.
Article 17
If the food safety management system of the country (region) where the overseas food production enterprise is located has been recognized by the GAC, and one of the following circumstances applies, the GAC may, through written agreement with the competent authority of that country (region), adopt a list-based registration method for its enterprises:
(1) It has signed an agreement on import and export food safety cooperation with the GAC;
(2) It has signed with China agreements, memoranda, joint statements, or other cooperation documents that include food safety cooperation provisions;
(3) Other circumstances under which the GAC, after risk assessment, deems the list-based registration method appropriate.
Article 18
Under the list-based registration method, the competent authority of the country (region) where the enterprise is located shall submit the following materials to the GAC:
(1) A list of food production enterprises recommended for registration in China;
(2) The application information listed in Article 10 of these Regulations;
(3) A declaration that the recommended enterprises meet the requirements of Article 7, paragraph 1 of these Regulations;
(4) A declaration of commitment to continuously fulfill the responsibilities stipulated in bilateral cooperation documents.
The GAC shall, after review, register the enterprises on the list that meet the requirements and issue them GAC registration numbers; for those that do not meet the requirements, the GAC shall not register them and shall notify the competent authority of the country (region) where they are located in writing.
Chapter III Supervision and Administration
Article 19
The GAC shall, based on the risk level of imported food safety, conduct re-evaluations by itself or through authorized institutions to verify whether overseas food production enterprises for importation continue to meet the registration requirements.
Overseas food production enterprises for importation and the competent authorities of the countries (regions) where they are located shall assist in the above re-evaluation work.
Article 20
If the registration information of an overseas food production enterprise for importation changes during the validity period, the enterprise shall, through the registration application channel, submit an application for amendment to the GAC along with the following materials:
(1) A comparison table of changes in registration matters;
(2) Supporting documents related to the changed information.
If, after assessment, the GAC deems the change acceptable, it shall effect the change; if the change involves circumstances that materially affect the enterprise's food safety and hygiene management and protection system, such as relocation of production premises, change of legal representative, or change of registration number granted by the country (region) where it is located, the GAC shall not effect the change and shall notify the enterprise to re-apply for registration, and the GAC registration number shall become invalid from the date of such notification.
Article 21
Upon expiration of the registration validity period, the registration shall be automatically renewed for a period of five (5) years, except under any of the following circumstances:
(1) The imported food is included in the list of foods not subject to automatic renewal of registration;
(2) The enterprise is in a rectification period due to non-compliance with registration requirements;
(3) The GAC has suspended the importation of relevant food from the country (region) where the overseas food production enterprise is located in accordance with the law.
The list of imported foods not subject to automatic renewal of registration as referred to in paragraph 1, item (1) of this Article shall be published separately by the GAC.
Article 22
Overseas production enterprises of foods included in the list of foods not subject to automatic renewal of registration that need to renew their registration shall, within 3 to 12 months before the expiry of the registration validity period, submit an application for renewal of registration to the GAC through the registration application channel. The renewal application materials shall include:
(1) Renewal registration application information;
(2) A declaration confirming continued compliance with registration requirements;
(3) For overseas production enterprises of foods included in the Catalogue, a declaration issued by the competent authority of the country (region) where they are located confirming continued compliance with registration requirements.
The GAC shall grant renewal of registration to enterprises that meet the registration requirements, and the registration validity period shall be extended by five (5) years.
Article 23
If any of the following circumstances applies to a registered overseas food production enterprise for importation, the GAC shall cancel its registration, notify the enterprise and the competent authority of the country (region) where it is located, and make a public announcement:
(1) Failure to apply for renewal of registration as required;
(2) The competent authority of the country (region) where it is located or the enterprise voluntarily applies for cancellation;
(3) It no longer meets the requirements of Article 7, paragraph 1, item (1) of these Regulations.
Article 24
The competent authority of the country (region) where the overseas food production enterprise for importation is located shall fulfill its food safety regulatory responsibilities, exercise effective supervision over registered enterprises, and urge them to continuously meet the registration requirements. If non-compliance is found, the competent authority shall immediately take risk prevention and mitigation measures, suspend the relevant enterprise's export of food to China, notify the GAC, and supervise the enterprise's rectification until it meets the registration requirements.
If an overseas food production enterprise for importation finds that it no longer meets the registration requirements, it shall voluntarily suspend the export of food to China and take immediate corrective measures until it meets the registration requirements.
Article 25
If the GAC finds that a registered overseas food production enterprise for importation no longer meets the registration requirements, it shall order the enterprise to rectify within a specified period and notify the competent authority of the country (region) where it is located to urge rectification. During the rectification period, the importation of food from the enterprise shall be suspended.
After completing rectification, the enterprise shall submit a supervision and rectification report issued by the competent authority of the country (region) where it is located and a written declaration confirming compliance with the registration requirements.
The GAC shall review the rectification status of the enterprise. If the requirements are met, the GAC shall resume the importation of food from the enterprise.
Article 26
The list of enterprises whose food imports are suspended or resumed by the GAC in accordance with Articles 24 and 25 of these Regulations shall be published by the GAC.
Article 27
If any of the following circumstances applies to a registered overseas food production enterprise for importation, the GAC shall revoke its registration and make a public announcement:
(1) Due to the enterprise's own reasons, a major food safety accident occurs involving imported food;
(2) Food exported to China is found to have serious food safety problems during entry inspection and quarantine;
(3) The enterprise has major problems in its food safety and hygiene management, such that it cannot ensure that the food exported to China meets safety and hygiene requirements;
(4) After rectification, it still fails to meet the registration requirements;
(5) It provides false materials or conceals relevant information;
(6) It refuses to cooperate with the GAC in conducting re-evaluations and incident investigations;
(7) It leases, lends, transfers, sells, or fraudulently uses registration numbers;
(8) Registration is granted to an enterprise that does not have the requisite qualifications or does not meet the registration conditions;
(9) Other circumstances under which revocation is permitted by law.
Chapter IV Supplementary Provisions
Article 28
If the GAC suspends, in accordance with the law, the importation of relevant food from the country (region) where the overseas food production enterprise for importation is located, no applications for registration from relevant food production enterprises in that country (region) shall be accepted during the suspension period.
Article 29
If the relevant country (region) and China have other agreements on the registration management of overseas food production enterprises for importation, such agreements shall prevail.
Article 30
The scope of overseas storage enterprises for importation that are required to undergo registration management under these Regulations shall be separately published by the GAC.
The registration management of overseas production enterprises of primary agricultural products for importation shall be separately formulated by the GAC.
The management requirements for overseas food production enterprises engaged in cross-border e-commerce retail imports shall be handled in accordance with relevant provisions.
Article 31
In these Regulations, "competent authority of the country (region) where the enterprise is located" means the official department of the country (region) where the overseas food production enterprise for importation is located that is responsible for the safety and hygiene supervision of food production enterprises.
Article 32
These Regulations shall be interpreted by the General Administration of Customs.
Article 33
These Regulations shall take effect on June 1, 2026. The "Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Registration of Overseas Food Production Enterprises for Importation" promulgated by Order No. 248 of the General Administration of Customs on April 12, 2021 shall be repealed simultaneously.
