Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Aquaculture Products from Saudi Arabia to China

According to the regulations of the Chinese Customs and the Ministry of Environment, Water Resources and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia on the inspection, quarantine and veterinary health requirements for Saudi farmed aquatic products exported to China, from now on, Saudi farmed aquatic products that meet the following relevant requirements are allowed to be imported:

I. Inspection and Quarantine Basis

(I) "Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China" and its implementing regulations, "Law of the People's Republic of China on Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine" and its implementing regulations, "Import and Export Commodity Inspection Law of the People's Republic of China" and its implementing regulations.

(II) "Administrative Measures for Import and Export Food Safety of the People's Republic of China" and "Registration and Administration Regulations for Overseas Production Enterprises of Imported Food of the People's Republic of China".

(III) "Protocol on Inspection, Quarantine and Veterinary Health Requirements for Saudi Farmed Aquatic Products Exported to China between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Environment, Water Resources and Agriculture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia".

II. Scope of Imported Products

Farmed aquatic products refer to aquatic animal products and their products, algae and other aquatic plant products and their products that are artificially cultivated for human consumption, excluding species listed in the Appendix of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the List of Key Protected Wildlife in China, live aquatic animals and aquatic animal and plant propagation materials. The catalog of newly added farmed aquatic products exported from Saudi Arabia to China is attached.

III. Requirements for production enterprises

Production enterprises (including processing enterprises and independent cold storage) and farms that export farmed aquatic products to China shall be approved by Saudi Arabia and be effectively supervised by the Saudi authorities. The sanitary conditions of production enterprises shall comply with the requirements of relevant veterinary and public health regulations of China and Saudi Arabia.

According to 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 Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine and its implementing regulations, production enterprises that export farmed aquatic products to China shall be recommended by the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water Resources and Agriculture to the Chinese Customs for registration. Without registration, they shall not be exported to China.

IV. Requirements for imported products

The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water Resources and Agriculture shall ensure that farmed aquatic products exported to China meet the following conditions:

(i) Farmed in its own waters.

(ii) The raw materials and products do not have the following problems:

1. Aquatic animal diseases related to the products of the Protocol listed in the List of Animal Quarantine Diseases of the People's Republic of China and required to be reported by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) occur in Saudi Arabia, causing farmed aquatic products exported to China to be or may be infected;

2. Any major food safety incidents in Saudi Arabia have affected or may affect farmed aquatic products exported to China;

3. The farmed aquatic products exported or to be exported to China by the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water Resources and Agriculture seriously violate the laws and regulations of China and Saudi Arabia and the provisions of the Protocol;

4. Major public health incidents occur in production enterprises, such as employees infected with major infectious diseases, which have contaminated or may contaminate farmed aquatic products exported to China and their packaging and transportation vehicles;

5. The breeding area is affected by pollutants, such as radioactive pollutants, which have contaminated or may contaminate farmed aquatic products exported to China.

(iii) No drugs or additives banned by both parties are used directly or indirectly (such as adding to feed), and drugs or additives restricted or allowed by both parties are used in accordance with regulations; after inspection by the competent authorities, no pathogenic microorganisms, toxic and harmful substances and foreign matter listed in the laws and regulations of China and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are found.

(iv) All farmed aquatic products exported to China have been quarantined and inspected by the competent authorities and are hygienic, safe and suitable for human consumption. No pathological signs of infectious and parasitic diseases have been found, and no aquatic animal diseases listed in the Disease List and required to be reported by WOAH have been found.

(v) The entire process of breeding, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, transit and export shall comply with the relevant hygiene requirements and traceability requirements of both parties, and at the same time, meet the relevant safety and hygiene requirements of the cold chain.

V. Certificate requirements

Each container of farmed aquatic products exported to China shall be accompanied by at least one original veterinary (health) certificate to prove that the batch of products complies with the veterinary and public health laws and regulations of China and Saudi Arabia and the relevant provisions of the Protocol. The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture shall fully fill in the information of the production enterprises involved in the entire process of breeding, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, transit and export in the veterinary (health) certificate, including the name and registration number of the farm, processing plant and independent cold storage, and shall not omit the information of the production enterprises involved in any of the above links.

The certificate shall be printed in Chinese and English (English is the mandatory language when filling in the certificate). The format and content of the certificate shall be approved by both parties in advance. The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water Resources and Agriculture shall promptly submit the certificate sample, the official issuing agency seal and the handwriting of the signing official to the Chinese Customs for filing. If there are any changes in the content and format of the certificate sample, the official issuing agency seal and the handwriting of the signing official, the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water Resources and Agriculture shall file it with the Chinese Customs at least one month before it takes effect.

VI. Packaging and Labeling Requirements

Aquaculture products exported to China shall have outer packaging and separate inner packaging. The inner and outer packaging shall be new materials that meet international health standards and meet the requirements of preventing contamination by external factors.

Inner and outer packaging shall be affixed with Chinese and English or Chinese-Arabic labels, including: product name and scientific name, specifications, production date, shelf life, batch number, storage conditions, production method (farming), country of origin, name and number of the manufacturer, production area and address of the manufacturer (specific to the state/province/city), and destination (marked as the People's Republic of China).

For aquaculture products exported to China in pre-packaged form, the Chinese label of the pre-packaged pre-packaged pre-packaged pre-packaged food shall comply with the labeling requirements of China's imported pre-packaged food.

VII. Other requirements

Chinese Customs implements import inspection and quarantine for farmed aquatic products imported into China.

For substandard products, they will be returned, destroyed or otherwise handled in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations. For production enterprises with serious problems or repeated substandard problems, Chinese Customs may take measures such as strengthening inspection and quarantine or suspending imports.

GACC

June 13, 2025

Information table on newly added farmed aquatic products exported to China from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia