English
中文 (简体)

Position: Home> GACC Registration > Meat and meat products

Meat and meat products

Meat refers to all parts of livestock and poultry that are intended for human consumption or that have been judged to be safe and suitable for human consumption, including livestock and poultry carcasses, meat cuts and edible by-products. , fat, blood, bone, skin, head, hoof (or claw), tail and other edible products.

Meat products refer to the use of livestock and poultry meat or its edible by-products as the main raw materials, with or without auxiliary materials, which are marinated, marinated, sauced, steamed, boiled, smoked, roasted, baked, dried, fried, shaped, fermented, and prepared. Raw or cooked meat products processed by relevant production processes.

GACC registration conditions for overseas manufacturers of imported foods are as follows: 

1. The food safety management system of the country/region where the manufacturer is located has passed GACC's equivalence assessment and/or review; 

2. The manufacturer was established with approval by the competent authority of the country/region, and the manufacturer is under effective regulation by the competent authority; 

3. The manufacturer has an established, effective food safety and sanitation management system and protection system, legally produces and exports food in the country/region, and ensures that foods exported to China comply with relevant Chinese laws, regulations, and national food safety standards; 

4. Food exporting to China conforms with relevant inspection and quarantine requirements that have been agreed upon after discussion by the GACC and the competent authorities of the country/region.


• GACC registration process (text description)

The flow chart for the GACC registration of imported food of overseas producers

Conditions and Control Inspection Points for Registration of Foreign Enterprises Meats and meat products

Application for Registration for Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Meats and Meat Products

The General Administration of Chinese Customs, overseas official regulatory agencies and production enterprises will jointly promote:

  • 01

    Confirm the HS code and the applicable access method.

  • 02

    Obtain the account and password officially granted by the supervisor or account re-authentication.

  • 03

    Preparing documents in strict accordance with the Conditions and Key Points of Control Inspection for Registration of Overseas Production Enterprises of Imported meats and meat products and conduct self-assessment and fill in the registration application form.

  • 04

    Submit an electronic application, fill in the enterprise elements and upload relevant materials as required; if necessary, include but not limited to floor plan of factory and workshop, process flow chart, etc.

  • 05

    The competent authority reviews the summary and forwards the electronic application with other support materials required by GACC.

  • 06

    The GACC office will review whether the materials are complete and in compliance with the legal form, and decide whether to accept it or issue a correction notice to the competent authority.

  • 07

    The expert group evaluates and reviews, including a combination of document review and on-site review or other reasonable review methods, and forms a review report.

  • 08

    Review by the General Administration of Chinese Customs whether it meets the statutory requirements and standards.

  • 09

    GACC approve or disapprove the registration, and feedback the information to the competent authority and Enterprise (enterprise applicants can receive the registration feedback in Cifer system).

  • 10

    The enterprises approved for registration, China Customs will publish them online in due course.

Our assistance includes but is not limited to:

1. Assist in product classification, determine the corresponding registration method and the best implementation plan; confirm the applicable official competent authority approval number, enterprise type, precise customs code and inspection and quarantine code details.

2. Assist enterprises to obtain account numbers and passwords.
3. Assist enterprises to check the registration elements according to the "Conditions and Control Inspection Points for Registration of Foreign Enterprises Meats and meat products", complete the self-assessment, and provide continuous improvement plans based on the assessment results, so that they meet the registration conditions check points and China's national food production and product standards. Assist in sorting, screening, editing, and translating the required materials, so that the application materials meet the integrity, authenticity and validity.
4. Assist client to fill in all required application form and submit the related documents.
5. Follow up the application submitted by the competent authority, the basic status report on animal and plant epidemics, veterinary hygiene, public health, plant protection, pesticide and veterinary drug residues related to the exporting country (region), the registration management of food production enterprises and the requirements of enterprise hygiene standards, etc. The laws, regulations and standards of the exporting country (region), the organization and personnel of the competent authority of the exporting country (region), the quarantine of the exporting country (region) competent authority of its recommended enterprises, the assessment answer sheet of the actual situation of sanitation control, the exporting country (regional) competent authority's assessment of the actual situation. A statement that the companies that are recommends comply with Chinese laws and regulations.

6. Materials correction, when the written materials do not meet the registration requirements, assist the enterprise to complete the interpretation, sorting, screening, editing, translation, calibration and other standards and laws and regulations of the required materials within the specified time.

7. Acceptance by Chinese Customs and follow-up and communication of technical review by expert group, preparation and coordination before on-site review or video review.

8. Assist in successful access and follow up on the use of registration data for customs clearance, and respond immediately if there are any problems.

9. According to the change of the enterprise, assist the change application.
10. Assist client to apply for extension under the new decree.

11. Other enterprise access and follow-up related support.

Regulatory Measures:

1. Only after obtaining the market access permit in China, and the exporting countries and products are included in the List of Meat Products Exported to China from Countries or Regions that Meet the Requirements of Assessment and Examination can the products be exported to China;

2. Overseas manufacturing enterprises shall register with China Customs and obtain registration number for exporting to China;

3. Chinese importers shall apply for Quarantine Permit for Imported Animal and Plants;

4. Inspection and quarantine of imported meat shall be carried out at designated supervision sites;

5. Overseas exporters/agents shall be put on record and obtain the record number;

6. Chinese importers shall record the consignees and obtain the record number;

 

Solutions for Meeting the Requirements of Regulatory Measures:

1. Obtaining market access permit in China

Solution: (1) The intended exporting country shall submit a written application to the General Administration of Customs of China for exporting meat products to China. And China shall decide whether to initiate the assessment and review procedures based on the situation of the animal epidemic in the intended exporting country. Once initiated, a risk assessment questionnaire for  relevant meat products will be submitted to the intended exporting country. (2) The intended exporting country shall reply to the questionnaire and provide relevant technical information, including the legal and regulatory system of veterinary health and public health, organizational structure, veterinary service system, production mode of products, safety and health control system, residue monitoring system, detection and monitoring of animal diseases, and other information of the exporting country. (3) China shall make a risk assessment on the answer sheet and relevant materials provided by the official authorities of the exporting country, and will send an expert team to the exporting country for field investigation if the safety and health status of the meat products of the exporting country is found to be within the acceptable range. (4) The two sides shall negotiate on the inspection and quarantine requirements of meat products exported to China, sign the protocol after reaching an agreement, and confirm the content and format of the health certificate.

2. Overseas manufacturing enterprises shall register with China Customs and obtain registration number for exporting to China;

Solution: To apply through the CIFER registration system of China Customs, and the applicant enterprise shall meet the standards and requirements stipulated in the Compliance Checklist for Registration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Meat and Meat Products; After the GACC receives the application, the expert panel shall evaluate and examine the applicant through written inspection, video inspection, on-site inspection and other forms of inspection or any combination of the above, and register the overseas manufacturers of imported food that meet the requirements and give them the registration number in China.

3. Chinese importers shall apply for Quarantine Permit for Imported Animal and Plants;

Solution: Importers can log in the "Internet + Customs" integrated online service platform (platform address: http://online.customs.gov.cn) to handle the formalities.

4. Inspection and quarantine of imported meat shall be carried out in designated supervision sites;

Solution: Check the List of Designated Supervision Sites for Imported Meat Products through the official website of the GACC.

5. Overseas exporters/agents shall be put on record and obtain the record number;

Solution: Submit the application through "Internet + Customs" - "Record System for Importers and Exporters of Imported Food".

6. Chinese importers shall record the consignees and obtain the record number;

Solution: Submit the application through "Internet + Customs" - "Record System for Importers and Exporters of Imported Food".

 

Information required for Customs declaration:

1. Certificate of Origin

2. Inspection and quarantine certificate (Veterinary health certificate) issued by the competent authority of the exporting country

3. Quarantine Permit for Imported Animals and Plants

4. Contract

5. Invoice

6. Packing List

7. Bill of Lading

8. Chinese label or label in both Chinese and English

9. Automatic Import License (Imported meat products with tax number supervision certificate code of "7")

10. Other supporting information or test reports

(Note: It is possible that different ports have different requirements on declaration data, which is regarded as normal)

 

Solutions for attaining the information required for Customs declaration (part of information) :

1. Inspection and quarantine certificate (Veterinary health certificate) issued by the competent authority of the exporting country

Solution: The inspection and quarantine veterinary (health) certificate shall be signed and issued by a signatory officer registered with China authority according to the bilateral agreement entered into by and between the exporting country and China, the inspection and quarantine protocol, the sample certificate of inspection and quarantine as specified in the memorandum or the announcement, the official seal of the issuing authority. After the goods are loaded into the container, they shall be sealed under the supervision of the official veterinarian of the exporting country before transport, and the seal number shall be indicated in the veterinary health certificate. Do not open and change the package during transportation.

2. Chinese label or label in both Chinese and English

Solution: Meat and meat products exported to China must be packaged with new materials that meet national standards of China for food safety and international health standards. The product shall have a separate inner package, on which the product name (description of the product), country of origin, registration number of the manufacturer and batch number shall be indicated in Chinese. On the outer package, the country of origin, product name, specifications of the product, place of manufacturing (down to the state/province/city), registration number of the manufacturer, batch number, and the destination (which should be marked as the People's Republic of China), production date (year/month/day), the shelf life, storage temperature and other information shall be indicated and the official inspection and quarantine mark of the exporting country approved by the Chinese side for record-keeping shall be affixed on the outer package of the product. Prepackaged food shall conform to the requirements of laws, regulations and norms of China on prepackaged food exported to China. The whole process from packaging, storage to transportation of the product shall comply with relevant health requirements of China and the exporting countries to prevent contamination by harmful substances. Labels do not meet the requirements can be rectified and printed quickly, and can be affixed at the designated supervision place of the port of receipt before Customs clearance.

3. Automatic Import License (Imported meat products with tax number supervision certificate code of "7");

Solution: Automatic import license refers to the license certificate issued by a license-issuing organ authorized by the Ministry of Commerce to approve the import of goods subject to automatic import license administration according to law. To obtain an automatic import license, importers shall apply for corporate record-keeping first and apply for the electronic key on the website of the Ministry of Commerce. With the electronic key, the importer can log on the website of the Ministry of Commerce to handle relevant documents. For imported meat products with the tax number supervision certificate code of "7", an Automatic Import License should be provided. Enterprises are not required to submit their paper automatic import license for inspection during import declaration. After entering the automatic import license number, the electronic license can be checked through online verification of automatic import license, no need for paper endorsement.

 

Conformity Assessment by Customs

Imported meat and meat products pass the inspection and quarantine in accordance with the conformity assessment procedures can be sold and consumed only after the issuance of Inspection and Quarantine Certificate for Entry Goods by the Customs.

For imported meat and meat products fail to pass the inspection and quarantine according to the conformity assessment procedures, the Customs shall issue a certificate of nonconformity. Where safety, health and environmental protection items are unqualified, the Customs shall order the parties involved to destroy the goods, or issue a notice for the handling of the return of goods, and the importer shall handle the formalities for the return of goods. Other items that fail to pass the standard may be dealt with technically under the supervision of the Customs, and the goods may not be sold or consumed until they pass the re-inspection.

The following imported meats and meat products are monitored by Decree 248:

HS codes of imported meats and meat products in GACC system (Download)

1. What are the common mistakes in registration?

(1) The product was classified incorrectly, and the wrong access method and procedure were applied.
(2) Failure to strictly follow the "Conditions and Control Inspection Points for Registration of Foreign Enterprises Meats and meat products” to inspect the elements of the enterprise and conduct feasibility assessments.

(3) Electronic application has not been submitted. "Application for Registration for Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Meats and Meat Products"

(4) The List of Animals and Their Products Prohibited from Importing from Animal Disease-Endemic Countries and Areas has not been circumvented.

(5) Registration application materials or attachments submitted are not in English or Chinese.

(6) The file format is incorrect and cannot be opened.

(7) There is a vacancy in the application materials where the signature and seal of the competent authority is required.

(8) The necessary parts of the application form are incomplete.

(9) The attachments of the application form are incomplete or do not correspond to the description of the content of the application form, which cannot prove the validity of the content of the application form.

(10) There are descriptions in the application form and attached materials that are obviously inconsistent with Chinese regulations.

(11) The information of the exported products cannot be accurately listed in the application, so that the customs clearance failure and needs to be urgently added. (Overseas manufacturers generally register according to the actual product strictly corresponding to the HS CODE, but Chinese brokers or freight agencies generally classify HS CODE according to the most preferential tax rate or the lowest supervision conditions or the simplest operation methods. There are cases that different ports and different freight agencies use different HS CODE for the same foods. There is a possibility of different classification, and our agency have to deal with many emergencies caused by the reasonable but misplaced demands of different market entities.)

(12) The application materials provided are contradictory.

(13) The country/origin where the overseas producers is located export firstly some foods has not yet conducted conformity equivalent assessment of the GACC official regulatory system.

2. An example of GACC does not approve review feedback?

3. How to continue the GACC registration after the original CNCA-approved enterprise expires?
Answer: Data in CNCA system had been transferred in GACC and the original license is still valid. However, before the expiry date, the enterprise has to make the expansion procedures according to Decree 248 and 249’s requirements.


4. What else is required to apply for the record filling of imported meat consignee?
Answer: According to the 《Announcement on Cancellation of Record Filling for Overseas Meats and Cosmetics Consignees》, from January 1, 2022, the record filling application of consignees of imported meat and cosmetics will be canceled. If an enterprise needs to import meat, it needs to complete the registration of import and export receipt and delivery, and check the meat in the food category in the import food importer filing link.

5. Do exporters or shippers need to record?
A: Yes, the exporter of the trade contract or shipper of BL has to do ire (Original AQSIQ) record. After recording will get an 11-digit record number, the record does not issue certificate nor validity limit. It should be noted that this record is very easy, we are obliged to help applicant record free of charge. Watch out for fraudulent websites.
(In China's administrative reform, AQSIQ no longer exist)

Imported Food Compliance Services

1. Feasibility analysis of food import

2. Regulatory requirements and compliance procedures related to food import

3. Special product pre-license consultation

4. Consultation on other food import problems

Product technical compliance support

Purpose: To determine whether food can be imported into China

1. Determine the product classification and whether it can be imported

2. Check whether the product is illegally added or the dosage and content are not compliant

3. Whether the imported food meets the national food safety standards

4. If there is any non-compliance, propose amendments

Product Label Review

Purpose: To ensure that the Chinese labels of imported products meet the requirements

1. Review the original product standard and give suggestions for revision

2. Review Chinese labels, translate and make Chinese labels

New food raw material declaration and consultation

1. New food raw material compliance consultation and training

2. Identification of new food raw materials

3. Substantial Equivalence Argument

4. New food raw material declaration

The remedy here is a self-definition or appellation of the institution for the following business conditions, and does not mean that the official expression and is not related to any other third-party and economic remedy.

GACC Access Remedy

According to GACC Decree No. 248 from January 1 2022, overseas manufacturers of imported food will be admitted in accordance with new policies, regulations and procedures. We provide all-round consultation and analysis. After adjustment and verification, the enterprises meet China's food production safety and hygiene standards, product pesticide and veterinary drug residues and other laws and regulations, but also according to the country (region) and product, free assistance to check the conformity assessment and give non-binding and pragmatic market access feasibility suggestions for reference.

Agent Remedy

The original agent caused unacceptable losses due to lack of technical level and experience; the original agent voluntarily canceled the entrustment or lost contact, resulting in application interruption and economic losses. According to the specific situation, we can continue to register and application service or give free reference suggestions.

Data remedy

In October 2021, GACC arranged to open a "green channel" for registration of 18 categories of food for one month. Some overseas competent authorities submitted incomplete or confusing enterprise elements, such as the address of the enterprise, the country name as the business license number, and the type of product as Names of people, etc., so that the corresponding overseas producers are still unable to use valid GACC codes to assist in customs declaration. Our agency has reasonably relieved many cases.

Remedy for overseas competent authority's administrative account

Due to the different organizational structure and supervision system of each country, some countries cannot effectively transmit the new GACC regulations and practical guidelines, some are completely unaware of the new GACC regulations, and some have heard of them but they do not know how to obtain the management account granted by GACC and which ones in their own countries. The institution should obtain a management account and conduct classified management; for this reason, our institution will participate in the assistance of embassy personnel when necessary through email, telephone, video conference, etc., fully publicize and implement the essentials of the laws and regulations, understand and discuss the country's governance and supervision system, and successfully implement remedy for multiple cases. Provide in-depth explanations on the use of training and operation guidelines for the management terminal of overseas competent authorities, so that they can fully understand the positive significance of the human-friendly architecture GACC Cifer system as a supporting measure for GACC Decree No.248. more+

Consultant Appointment

The team is well established, familiar with the evolution of all regulations, rich in technical reserves, smooth in multilingual communication, convenient in handling affairs, mastering key compliance points, and understanding trade customs clearance and quarantine matters. Consultant appointment is only invited, those who can meet the assessment and analysis would be invited by us.  more+

training and Translation

We can assist and provide client with paid training and translation service when they inquired about the China’s inspection system, laws and regulations of Food, registration application etc,to ensure client has better understandings about the laws and regulation so to apply for the registration on their own. Or can be invited as our annual partnership of consulting. more+

Customs Clearance reject and early warning remedy

Misjudgment caused by enterprise qualification problems, product technology non-compliance, label non-compliance or self-perceived compliance or misclassification in the process of food trade. Sanctions such as return request of shipments, suspension of imports, and revocation of qualifications caused by triggering risk warnings. We can try to assist producer and companies in product compliance, corporate rectification, training, re-certification, re-communication and other measures to promote the process of removing sanctions.

Submit your message online