Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Export of Dairy Products from Estonia to China

In accordance with the regulations of the Chinese Customs and the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture of Estonia regarding the inspection and quarantine requirements for Estonian dairy products exported to China, from the date of this announcement, the import of Estonian dairy products that meet the inspection and quarantine requirements will be permitted:

I. Inspection and Quarantine Basis

(1) 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, and the Law of the People's Republic of China on Import and Export Commodity Inspection and its implementing regulations.

(2) The Measures of the People's Republic of China on the Administration of Import and Export Food Safety and the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Registration and Administration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food.

(3) The Protocol between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture of the Republic of Estonia on the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Estonian Dairy Products Exported to China.

(4) General Administration of Customs Announcement No. 114 of 2021 (Announcement on Clarifying the Relevant Requirements for Inspection and Quarantine of Imported Dairy Products).

II. Products Permitted for Import

Dairy products exported to China refer to foods originating in Estonia and processed primarily from cow's, sheep's, and goat's milk. These include pasteurized milk, sterilized milk, reconstituted milk, fermented milk, cheese and processed cheese, cream, butter, anhydrous butter, condensed milk, milk powder, whey powder, whey protein powder, bovine colostrum powder, casein, milk mineral salts, milk-based infant formula, and its premixes (or base powders).

III. Manufacturer Requirements

Dairy product manufacturers exporting to China must be approved or registered by Estonian authorities, produced in Estonia under official supervision, and comply with relevant animal health and public health requirements in both China and Estonia.

According to the Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China and the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Registration and Administration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food, manufacturers exporting dairy products to China must be registered in China. Products produced by unregistered manufacturers are not permitted to be exported to China.

IV. Requirements for Dairy Animals Providing Raw Milk

Dairy animals providing raw milk for dairy products exported to China must meet the following requirements:

(1) They must come from farms that meet the following conditions:

1. Foot-and-mouth disease quarantine restrictions have been lifted for at least two months.

2. The farm must be free of rinderpest, Rift Valley fever, or contagious bovine pleuropneumonia.

3. The farm must have no confirmed cases of anthrax in the past 12 months.

4. Estonia has never had a confirmed case of BSE, and since May 2014, Estonia has been officially recognized by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) as a country with a negligible BSE risk.

5. The farm must be free of clinical signs of brucellosis, bovine paratuberculosis (also known as Johne's disease), or tuberculosis.

6. The farm must be free of peste des petits ruminants, scrapie, and ovine smallpox.

7. The farm must be supervised by the Estonian government or an officially recognized third-party agency.

8. The farm and its surrounding area are not subject to quarantine restrictions due to animal diseases as stipulated in the WOAH Code and Estonian official animal health regulations.

(2) The animals have not been fed feed prohibited for animal feeding in Estonia or China.

(3) The annual national residue monitoring plan established by Estonia is implemented, and the company is required to test its raw milk.

(4) According to the Estonian national residue monitoring plan and raw milk test results, the residues of veterinary drugs, pesticides, and other toxic and hazardous substances in dairy products exported to China do not exceed the maximum limits set by Chinese standards.

V. Certificate Requirements

Dairy products exported to China must be accompanied by an official Estonian veterinary health certificate.

VI. Food Safety Requirements

Dairy products exported to China must comply with the laws and regulations of Estonia and China, as well as the requirements of China's national food safety standards. The raw milk raw materials for dairy products exported to China must come from Estonia, and the dairy raw materials must come from countries (regions) approved to export the corresponding dairy raw materials to China.

(1) Dairy products exported to China must comply with the laws and regulations of Estonia and China, as well as the requirements of China's national food safety standards.

(2) Raw milk ingredients for dairy products exported to China must come from Estonia, and dairy raw materials must come from countries (regions) approved to export corresponding dairy raw materials to China.

(3) Dairy products exported to China must be easily identifiable at all stages of processing and storage and must not be processed together with dairy products that do not comply with the provisions of this announcement.

(4) Raw milk used to process dairy products exported to China must not contain milk from periods of antibiotic use or withdrawal, spoiled milk, or colostrum (except when used to process bovine colostrum powder).

(5) Colostrum is not added to milk-based infant formula.

(6) The product must undergo one of the following processing steps:

1. Ultra-high temperature pasteurization (UHT) at a minimum temperature of 132°C for at least 1 second;

2. If the pH of the milk is below 7.0, a sterilization step at a minimum temperature of 72°C for at least 15 seconds (HTST);

3. If the pH of the milk is 7.0 or above, a two-step HTST process.

VII. Packaging and Labeling Requirements

Dairy products exported to China must be packaged using new materials that meet Chinese standards. The outer packaging must indicate the specifications, place of origin (specific to the state/province/city), destination, product name, weight, manufacturer name, registration number, batch number, storage conditions, production date, and expiration date in Chinese, Estonian, and English.

Inner packaging must comply with relevant Chinese regulations. The label should indicate the country of origin, product name, company registration number, manufacturer name, address, and contact information, production date, expiration date, and batch number.

VIII. Storage and Transportation Requirements

Dairy products exported to China must meet sanitary conditions throughout the entire packaging, storage, and transportation process to prevent contamination by toxic and hazardous substances. After loading into the container, the goods must be sealed, and the seal number must be indicated on the veterinary export certificate. The packaging must not be opened or replaced during transportation.

GACC

October 17, 2025