Regarding the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for the Watermelon of Vietnam
1. Basis for inspection and quarantine
1.1 The Biosafety Law of the People's Republic of China;
1.2 The Entry-Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine Law of the People's Republic of China and the Regulations for its implementation;
1.3 The Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China and its implementing regulations;
1.4 Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Inspection and Quarantine of Imported Fruits;
1.5 Protocol between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on Phytosanitary Requirements for Importation of Fresh watermelons from Vietnam into China.
2. Names of goods allowed to enter the country
Fresh Watermelon (hereinafter referred to as watermelon), the scientific name: Citrullus lanatus, English name: watermelon.
3. Permissible origin
Watermelon producing areas of Vietnam.
4. Approved orchards and packaging plants
The orchards and packaging plants of watermelons exported to China shall be registered with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (hereinafter referred to as Vietnam) and approved for registration by the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as China). Registration information includes name, address and registration number. Prior to the commencement of trade, Vietnam shall provide China with the registration list, which shall be published on the website of the General Administration of Customs and updated regularly after being reviewed and approved by China.
5. List of quarantine pests of concern to China
5.1 Acidovorax avenae subsp. Citrulli
5.2 Bactrocera correcta
5.3 Bactrocera zonata
5.4 Bactrocera latifrons
5.5 Phenacoccus solenopsis
6. Pre-export management
6.1 Orchard management.
6.1.1 The orchards exported to China should establish a sound quality management and traceability system under the supervision of Vietnam, implement good agricultural practices (GAP), maintain the hygienic conditions of the orchards, such as no pollution sources affecting fruit production around, and timely cleaning up the fallen fruit and rotten fruit. Integrated pest management (IPM) should be implemented in imported orchards, including regular pest monitoring and investigation, physical, chemical or biological pest control; And other preventive or control measures.
6.1.2 Vietnam should formulate a management plan for quarantine pests of concern to China in accordance with the requirements of International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 6 (ISPM 6) and organize monitoring of orchards during the growing season. In addition to visual inspection, a variety of physical or chemical methods should be used to trap pests. It is necessary to hang pheromone traps in orchards and use yellow armyworm plates for physical monitoring to target the pests such as guava fly, peach fly and pepper fly. Field investigation should be carried out every 15 days from the seedling stage of watermelon to target the pathogen of fruit spot of melon and Phenacoccus fusicoccus.
6.1.3 If pests or their corresponding symptoms are found during monitoring, comprehensive management measures including chemical, physical or biological control should be taken to ensure that watermelons exported to China do not carry quarantine pests of concern to China. Integrated management measures for quarantine pests of concern to China must be approved by Vietnam and, upon request, made available to China prior to the commencement of trade.
6.1.4 The monitoring and control of pests shall be carried out under the guidance of professional and technical personnel. Technical personnel shall receive training from Vietnam or its authorized institutions.
6.1.5 Vietnam shall keep records of pest monitoring and control in orchards and provide them to China upon request. Control records should include the name of the chemical agent used in the growing season, active ingredients, dosage and time of use.
6.2 Packaging plant management.
6.2.1 The processing, packaging, storage and shipment of watermelon exported to China shall be carried out under the quarantine supervision of Vietnam or its authorized personnel.
6.2.2 The packaging plant of watermelon imported from China should be clean and hygienic, the ground should be hardened, and there should be a raw material field and a finished product warehouse.
6.2.3 The functional areas such as storage and processing of watermelon exported to China are relatively independent, reasonably arranged, and isolated from the living area with appropriate distance.
6.2.4 If the packaged watermelon needs to be stored, it should be immediately stored in the warehouse and stored separately to avoid being re-infected by harmful organisms.
6.2.5 Watermelon packaging plants should establish a traceability system to ensure that watermelon exported to China can be traced back to the registered orchard, record the processing and packaging date, the name of the source orchard or its registration number, quantity, export date, export quantity, export country, container number and other information.
6.3 Packaging requirements.
6.3.1 The packaging materials should be clean, sanitary and unused, and meet the relevant requirements of China's plant quarantine. If wood packaging is used, it must comply with International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures 15 (ISPM 15).
6.3.2 In the packaging process of watermelon imported to China, it should be manually selected, graded and cleaned, and the diseased fruit, worm fruit, rotten fruit, deformed fruit, stem and leaves or other plant residues and soil should be removed.
6.3.3 Each packing box must be marked in Chinese or English fruit name, variety, country, origin, orchard name or its registration number, packing factory name or its registration number and other information. Each packing box and pallet shall be marked with the words "Exported to the People's Republic of China" or "exported to the People's Republic of China" in Chinese or English.
6.3.4. Containers containing watermelons for export to China must be checked for good sanitary conditions during packing. The container shall be sealed, and the seal shall be intact upon arrival at the port of entry in China.
6.4 pre-export inspection and quarantine.
6.4.1 Before export, Vietnam shall conduct sampling inspection of each batch of watermelon exported to China in accordance with the proportion of 2% of each shipment. If no phytosanitary problems occur within a year, the sampling proportion is reduced to 1%.
6.4.2 If quarantine pests, leaves or soil of concern to China are found, the whole batch of goods shall not be exported to China, and the relevant orchards and packaging plants shall be suspended from exporting watermelons to China for the rest of the export season, as appropriate. Vietnam should find out the cause and take improvement measures. At the same time, records of seizures are kept and provided to China upon request.
6.5 Requirements for plant quarantine certificates.
After passing the quarantine, Vietnam shall issue a phytosanitary certificate in accordance with International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 12 (ISPM 12), indicating the name or registration number of the orchard and the packing plant, and indicating in the additional declaration: “This consignment complies with the requirements specified in the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Fresh Watermelons from Viet Nam to China, and is free from quarantine pests of concern to China." (The goods meet the requirements of the phytosanitary protocol for the export of fresh watermelons from Vietnam to China and do not contain quarantine pests of concern to China.)
7. Entry inspection and quarantine and nonconformity treatment
When imported west melons arrive at the entry ports of China, the Chinese Customs shall conduct inspection and quarantine in accordance with the following requirements.
7.1 Verification of relevant certificates and identification.
7.1.1 Check whether the imported fruit has obtained the Entry Plant and Animal Quarantine Permit.
7.1.2 Check whether the phytosanitary certificate conforms to the provisions of Article 6 (5) of this announcement.
7.1.3 Check whether the marks on the packing boxes comply with the provisions of Article 6 (3) of this announcement.
7.2 Entry inspection and quarantine.
7.2.1 Watermelons exported to China should be imported from ports where China allows fruit imports.
7.2.2 According to the relevant laws, administrative regulations, rules and other provisions, the inspection and quarantine of imported watermelons shall be carried out, and those that pass the inspection and quarantine shall be allowed to enter the country.
7.3 unqualified treatment.
7.3.1 If it is found that the goods come from orchards and packaging factories without the approval of China, the goods are not allowed to enter the country.
7.3.2 If quarantine pests of concern to China or other newly occurring quarantine pests in Vietnam are found, or soil and plant residues are found, the goods shall be returned, destroyed or disinfected.
7.3.3 If it is found that the goods do not meet the national food safety standards of China, the goods shall be returned or destroyed.
7.3.4 If the above non-compliance is found, China will inform Vietnam and suspend the import of watermelon from the relevant orchards or packaging plants this export season as appropriate. Vietnam shall identify the cause of the nonconformity and urge the relevant orchards or packaging plants to make rectification until the relevant rectification measures are effectively implemented and recognized by China.
It is hereby announced.
GACC
Dec. 15, 2023
