Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Export of Laurel leaves from Türkiye to China

According to the regulations of Chinese Customs and the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry regarding plant quarantine requirements for laurel leaves exported to China, starting today, Turkish bay leaves that meet the following requirements are permitted to be imported.

I. Quarantine basis

(1) Biosafety Law of the People's Republic of China;

(2) The Law of the People's Republic of China on Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine and its implementing regulations;

(3) The Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China and its implementing regulations;

(4) "Protocol on Plant Quarantine Requirements for Turkish Bay Leaves Exported to China" by the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Turkey.

II. Permitted names of goods to be imported into the country

Laurel leaf refers to the dried leaves of the laurel plant (Laurus nobilis) of the laurel family grown in Turkey.

III. Enterprise registration

Bay leaf planting bases and processing and packaging plants exported to China must be reviewed by the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and approved for registration by Chinese Customs. Registration information includes name, address, and registration number to ensure accurate traceability if export goods do not comply with the relevant provisions of this announcement. Before commencing trade, the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry shall provide the registration list to Chinese Customs, which will be published and regularly updated on the website after review and approval by Chinese Customs.

IV. List of quarantine pests of concern by China Customs

1．Aonidia lauri

2．Chrysomphalus pinnulifer

3．Ditula angustiorana

4．Lauritrioza alacris

5．Trogoderma granarium

6．Phytophthora ramorum

V. Pre-export management

(1) Planting base management.

1. Planting bases should establish and improve quality management and traceability systems under the supervision of the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, implement Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), maintain planting hygiene conditions, such as eliminating pollution sources affecting laurel production, promptly removing plant disease residues, and implementing Integrated Pest Management (IPM), including pest monitoring and investigation, physical, chemical, or biological control, as well as other agricultural operations and control measures.

2. Planting bases shall be supervised by the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, conducting pest monitoring and comprehensive management targeting quarantine pests of concern to Chinese customs. Pest monitoring and control shall be carried out under the guidance of professional technical personnel. Technical personnel shall receive training from the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry or its authorized institutions.

3. The Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry shall retain records of pest monitoring and control during cultivation, as well as monitoring plans and records for toxic and hazardous substances such as pesticide residues and heavy metal pollutants, and provide them to Chinese customs upon request. Control records should include information such as the names of chemical agents used during the growing season, active ingredients, dosages, and durations.

(2) Management of processing and packaging plants.

1. The processing, packaging, storage, and transportation of bay leaves exported to China must be carried out under quarantine supervision by the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry or authorized officials.

2. The processing and packaging plant for bay leaves exported to China should be clean and hygienic, with hardened floors and a finished goods warehouse.

3. The storage, processing, packaging, and storage areas for bay leaves exported to China should be relatively independent, reasonably laid out, and separated from living areas with appropriate distances.

4. During the sorting, screening, and cleaning of bay leaves exported to China, ensure they do not carry insects, mites, snails, diseased leaves, rotten leaves, grass seeds, stems and leaves, or other plant residues or soil.

5. Registered packaging factories should establish a traceability system to ensure that laurel leaves exported to China can be traced back to the registered planting base, recording processing and packaging dates, the name of the source planting base or its registration number, quantity, export date, export quantity, import country, transport or container number, and other information.

(3) Packaging requirements.

1. Packaging materials must be clean, hygienic, unused, and meet China's relevant plant quarantine requirements. If wooden packaging is used, it must comply with the International Standard for Plant Quarantine Measures No. 15 (ISPM 15).

2. Each packaging box should be labeled in Chinese or English with traceable information such as product name, country, origin, planting base, and processing and packaging plant name or registration number. Each packaging box and pallet must be marked in Chinese or English with "输往中华人民共和国" or "Exported to the People's Republic of China".

3. Transport vehicles or containers loaded with bay leaves exported to China must be inspected for good hygiene conditions during shipment. Transport vehicles or containers must be sealed and sealed, and upon arrival at Chinese entry ports, their seals must be intact.

(4) Pre-export inspection and quarantine.

1. Before export, the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry must conduct inspection and quarantine on bay leaves exported to China. Within two years after the agreement takes effect, officials from the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry or authorized agencies must conduct sampling inspections of packaged bay leaves at a 2% ratio. If no plant quarantine issues occur within two years, the sampling rate will be reduced to 1%.

2. If quarantine pests, plant residues, or soil of concern to Chinese customs are found, the entire batch of goods must not be exported to China. The Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry should identify the cause and take corrective measures. At the same time, records of seizures should be kept and provided to Chinese customs upon request.

(5) Requirements for plant quarantine certificates.

1. For quarantined qualified bay leaves, the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry shall issue a phytosanitary certificate in accordance with International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 12 (ISPM 12), indicating the name of the planting base and processing and packaging plant or their registration number, and fill in the following additional declaration: "This consignment complies with the requirements specified in the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Laurel leaves from Türkiye to China, and is free from quarantine pests of concern to China."

2. Before trade begins, the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry should provide samples of the plant quarantine certificate to Chinese customs for confirmation and record.

VI. Entry-bound inspection, quarantine, and handling of non-compliance

When laurel leaves exported to China arrive at the Chinese port of entry, Chinese customs shall conduct inspection and quarantine according to the following requirements.

(1) Verification of relevant certificates and identification marks.

1. Verify whether the plant quarantine certificate complies with the provisions of Article 5, Clause (5) of this announcement.

2. Check whether the labeling on packaging boxes or wooden packaging complies with the provisions of Article 5, Paragraph (3) of this announcement.

(2) Inspection and quarantine upon arrival.

When laurel leaves arrive at Chinese entry ports, customs will verify relevant documents and labels, and conduct inspection and quarantine in accordance with Chinese laws, regulations, national standards, and the requirements of this announcement. Those that pass inspection and quarantine are permitted to enter the country.

(3) Nonconformity Handling.

1. If it is found to come from an unregistered planting base or packaging factory, that batch of bay leaves will not be allowed into the country.

2. If live quarantine pests or other quarantine pests of concern are found, or plant residues, soil, etc., the goods will be returned, destroyed, or disposed of.

3. If any goods are found to not comply with Chinese food safety laws, regulations, or national standards, the batch of goods will be returned or destroyed.

GACC

September 28, 2026