Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Wild Aquatic Products from Faroe Islands to China
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) "Measures for the Administration of Import and Export Food Safety of the People's Republic of China" and "Regulations on the Registration and Administration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Foods of the People's Republic of China";
(III) "Protocol between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Industry and Trade of the Faroe Islands on Inspection, Quarantine and Sanitation Requirements for Wild Aquatic Products Exported from the Faroe Islands to China".
II. Scope of imported products
Wild aquatic products refer to wild aquatic animal products and their products, algae and other marine plant products and their products for human consumption, excluding live aquatic animals and aquatic animal and plant propagation materials.
III. Requirements for production enterprises
Production enterprises (including production, processing and storage enterprises) that export wild aquatic products to China should be approved by the Faroe Islands authorities and be subject to their effective supervision. The food safety and sanitation management and protection system of production enterprises shall comply with the requirements of relevant laws and regulations on food safety in China.
According to the Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China and its implementing regulations, and 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 wild aquatic products to China shall be recommended by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Industry and Trade of the Faroe Islands to the Chinese Customs for registration. Without registration, they shall not be exported to China.
IV. Requirements for imported products
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Industry and Trade of the Faroe Islands shall ensure that wild aquatic products exported to China meet the following conditions:
(i) Legally caught in domestic or international waters.
(ii) The raw materials and products do not have the following problems:
1. Wild aquatic products exported or to be exported from the Faroe Islands to China seriously violate the relevant laws and regulations on food safety of China and the Faroe Islands and the provisions of the Protocol.
2. Aquatic animal diseases related to products under the Protocol listed in the List of Animal Quarantine Diseases for Entry into the People's Republic of China and required to be reported by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) have occurred in the Faroe Islands, which has seriously affected the safety of wild aquatic products exported to China.
3. A major food safety incident has occurred in the Faroe Islands, or a major public health incident has occurred in a production enterprise, or the fishing waters have been affected by pollutants, which has seriously affected the safety of wild aquatic products exported to China.
(iii) No drugs or additives banned by China are used directly or indirectly, and drugs or additives restricted or permitted by Chinese customs are used in accordance with regulations.
(iv) After inspection and quarantine by the competent authorities, no pathogenic microorganisms, toxic and harmful substances and foreign matter listed in Chinese laws and regulations, as well as any cases of infectious diseases and parasitic diseases, have been found, and no aquatic animal diseases listed in the "List of Animal Quarantine Diseases Entering the People's Republic of China" and WOAH that must be reported have been found.
(v) The production process (including fishing, production and processing, packaging, storage, transportation, transit and export, etc.) shall comply with relevant Chinese safety and health requirements and traceability requirements.
(vi) The packaging and labeling of products shall comply with China's national food safety standards and relevant regulations on imported food safety management.
V. Certificate requirements
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Industry and Trade of the Faroe Islands is responsible for implementing inspection and quarantine of wild aquatic products exported to China in accordance with the requirements of the Chinese Customs, and issuing a health certificate confirmed by both parties for each batch of wild aquatic products exported to China, proving that the batch of products complies with the relevant provisions of China's food safety laws and regulations. The certificate shall be printed in at least Chinese and English (English is the required language when filling in the certificate).
The health certificate shall fully fill in the information of the wild aquatic product production enterprise (including production, processing and storage enterprises) exported to China. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Industry and Trade of the Faroe Islands shall promptly provide the certificate sample and official seal to the Chinese Customs for filing. If there is any change, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Industry and Trade of the Faroe Islands shall file it with the Chinese Customs at least one month before it takes effect.
VI. Other requirements
The Chinese Customs implements inspection and quarantine of wild aquatic products exported to China.
For unqualified products, they will be destroyed, returned or otherwise handled in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations. For production enterprises with serious problems or repeated unqualified problems, the Chinese Customs may take measures such as strengthening inspection and quarantine or suspending imports.
GACC
April 17, 2025
