The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (the Department) is the Australian government authority responsible for export registration, inspection and certification of Australian food and agricultural exports.

All premises involved in the production of fish and fish products for export, including fishing vessels where fish is prepared for export must be registered with the Department.

For more information or assistance with the export registration process contact the departments Dairy, Eggs and Fish Program at dairyeggsfish@aff.gov.au.

Exceptions to establishment registration

Preparation of goods at an export registered establishment and an export permit is not required if you are exporting the following as these goods are not prescribed under the Export Control (Fish & Fish products) Rules 2021;

1. liquid fish and liquid fish products exported in a consignment of not more than 10 litres;
2. dried fish and dried fish products (other than dried abalone) exported in a consignment of not more than 2 kilograms;
3. fish products where fish or fish products are not the major component;
4. fish or fish products that are animal food or pharmaceutical material;
5. fish or fish products not covered by paragraphs (a) to (d) (other than dried abalone) exported in a consignment of not more than 10 kilograms;
6. fish or fish products in the form of a tablet or capsule;

Note

However, if Taiwan requires a government certificate for the entry of the above goods, a certificate can be issued by the department – provided that the goods have been prepared in an export registered establishment.

The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) maintains a list of approved establishments on its website for border clearance purposes. This list is based on the Department’s publicly available list of export registered fish processing establishments (PDF 405 KB)​​.

If your seafood establishment is not currently listed or the information is incorrect, please contact the Department at DairyEggsFish@aff.gov.au.

Live seafood

In accordance with Taiwan's 'Quarantine Requirement for the Importation of Live Crustacean and Molluscs' and 'Quarantine Requirement for the Importation of Live Fish and the Gametes and Fertilized Eggs' except live abalone and live eel, certain live seafood cannot be certified by the Department for export to Taiwan.

Please refer to Taiwan's live species list (PDF 98 KB) for the scientific names of live aquatic species which cannot be exported to Taiwan.

Frozen/chilled uneviscerated fish

Following the introduction by Taiwan of their ‘Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Frozen/Chilled Uneviscerated Fish Products’, certain species of seafood cannot be certified by the Department for export to Taiwan when in an uneviscerated state. Please refer to Taiwan's list of species (scientific names) (PDF 156 KB) which cannot currently be exported to Taiwan in an uneviscerated state.

To determine the common name for fish on Taiwan's species lists please use the Australian Fish Name Standard.

Approved list of establishments

From 26 July 2021, all Australian seafood export registered establishments are eligible to prepare fish and fish products for export to Taiwan under the HS codes 03, 1604 and 1605.

• 03: Fish and crustaceans, molluscs, and other aquatic invertebrates
• 1604: Prepared or preserved fish; caviar and caviar substitutes prepared from fish eggs Fish, whole or in piece, but not minced
• 1605: Crustaceans, molluscs, and other aquatic invertebrates, prepared or preserved

Sourcing of fish and fish products

Live abalone

Live abalone (Haliotis rubra rubra and Haliotis laevigata) must be sourced from a state or territory where Perkinsus olseni has not been reported as present for at least the previous two years. If abalone is sourced from a state or territory where P. olseni has been reported as present in the previous two years, consignments must be tested and found free of P. olseni prior to export.

Live eel

Live eel (Anguilla spp.) must be of marine origin or be sourced from a state of territory where Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome has not been reported as present for at least the last two years. If eel is sourced from a state or territory where Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome has been reported as present in the previous two years, and is not of marine origin, consignments must be tested and found free of Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome prior to export.

Information on Perkinsus olseni and Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome are available in the Identification Field Guide​ - Aquatic Animal Diseases Significant to Australia.

Sourcing, slaughter and post-mortem inspection of crocodiles

Taiwan has no known specific requirements for the slaughter and post-mortem inspection of crocodiles that differ from those required in the Export Control (Fish and Fish Products) Rules 2021.

Taiwan has no known additional requirements for microbial sampling of fish and fish products that differ from those required in the Export Control (Fish and Fish Products) Rules 2021.

Taiwan residue standards

Maximum residue limits (MRLs) or import tolerances for residues of specific agricultural and veterinary chemicals approved for use in Australia may not exist in Taiwan or may be established at levels lower than those established in Australia. Maximum Limits (MLs) for contaminants may also vary between Taiwan and Australia.

Food business operators should note that:

• These differences can be interrogated case-by-case by considering the Taiwan standards and the Australian standards.
• Any detection of a residue above the Taiwan ​MRLs/MLs (as applicable) at the border may result in rejection of the consignment.

Note

Importing country residue standards can usually be found via the official webpages of their competent authority. Links to a limited number of export markets and Australia are provided on the DAFF website.

Taiwan has no known specific requirements for operations that differ from those required in the Export Control (Fish and Fish Products) Rules 2021.

​​Ta​​iwan has no known specific premises and equipment requirements that differ from the Export Control (Fish and Fish Products) Rules 2021.

​​Taiwan has no known specific requirements for the preparation of live fish for human consumption that differ from those required by the Export Control (Fish and Fish Products) Rules 2021.

​​Taiwan has no known specific requirements for the preparation of non-viable fish for human consumption that differ from those required by the Export Control (Fish and Fish Products) Rules 2021.

​​Taiwan has no known specific requirements for the preparation of crocodile products for human consumption that differ from those required by the Export Control (Fish and Fish Products) Rules 2021.

​​Taiwan has no known specific requirements for packaging that differ from those required by the Export Control (Fish and Fish Products) Rules 2021.

The labelling requirements for food and food raw materials, including Fish and Fish products, are contained in Taiwan's Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (and its associated enforcement rules).

Current labelling requirements:

• Prior to importation labelling on all containers and external packaging of food and food raw materials must be in Chinese (traditional Chinese characters); any labelling text in the foreign language of the country of origin must be supplementary to the Chinese.
• All labels must specify the product name, weight, volume or quantity of the product, ingredients and additives, manufacturer, country of origin, expiry and nutritional details.
• If the products are to be re-packaged or processed in Taiwan then a temporary Chinese labelling exemption can be applied for at the time of submitting an application for Taiwan Food and Drug Administration's (TFDA's) import inspection. Chinese labelling must still be applied before the products are sold.

Please note the above labelling requirements are applicable to certain live seafood (including fish and crustaceans) exported for human consumption.

• Products subject to TFDA's Food Safety and Sanitation Act can be checked by entering the tariff code or name of the product on the Taiwan Bureau of Foreign Trade (TBFT) website.
• TFDA has advised that for most live products imported in bulk form importers could apply for Chinese labelling exemption at the time of submitting an application for TFDA's import inspection.
  

Please note that this list is not exhaustive. Exporters should contact their importers to ensure they are satisfying all of the Taiwanese labelling requirements for exporting fish and fish products.

Labelling requirement for restructured meat

All restructured meat that is sold as bulk or packaged food must be labelled as "restructured" and "To be cooked before consumption" or with equivalent text.

Restructured meat is defined as meat (including fish) pieces that have been processed through binding, adhering or pressing and the products appear to be in the form of chunk pieces which may be mistaken by consumers as unprocessed meat.

Meatballs, hot dogs, ham, hamburger meat, sausage, fish balls, fish plates, beef balls, duck meat balls and other products which are well known to consumers as being restructured foods are exempt from this labelling requirement.

​​Taiwan has specific labelling requirements for use-by dates and/or shelf life restrictions.

• Labelling of the expiry date shall be decipherable, in the format year, month and day.
• Products with a shelf life greater than 3 months may be labelled with the year and month only (the last date of that month shall be the expiry date)
  

​​Taiwan has no known specific requirements for shipping marks, that differ from the Export Control (Fish and Fish Products) Rules 2021.

​​Taiwan ​has no known specific requirements for refrigeration, transfer and loadout, that differ from of the Export Control (Fish and Fish Products) Rules 2021.

​​Exporters should confirm with their importer if an import permit is required for their product.

The department has no specific knowledge of port-of-entry inspection and testing for imports into Taiwan. Exporters should confirm requirements with their importer or agent.

Live finfish, bivalves, crustaceans, echinoderms, gastropods, cephalopods and tunicates

In accordance with Taiwan's 'Quarantine Requirement for the Importation of Live Crustacean and Molluscs' and 'Quarantine Requirement for the Importation of Live Fish and the Gametes and Fertilized Eggs', certain live seafood cannot be certified by the Department for export to Taiwan.

Please refer to ​Taiwan's live species list (PDF 98 KB) for the scientific names of live aquatic species which cannot be exported to Taiwan.

It is a requirement that both genus and species name of each product be printed on the health certificate. These details are automatically generated through NEXDOC.

Live finfish, crustaceans, echinoderms, cephalopods, and tunicates

For export eligible live finfish (excluding eel), crustaceans, echinoderms, cephalopods and tunicates, use FX46 certificate with endorsement 4782.

For live eel, use FX46 certificate with endorsement 4727.

Live molluscs (excluding cephalopods) of aquaculture origin

For live molluscs of aquaculture origin (excluding cephalopods and abalone) that are being exported to Taiwan use FX46TA certificate with endorsement 4782.

For live abalone of aquaculture origin, use FX46TA certificate with endorsement 4726.

Taiwan requires the harvest area to be listed on export certificates accompanying molluscs (except cephalopods) entering Taiwan. Shipments of these products will be detained in Taiwan if they do not comply with this requirement.

Additional certification requirements for ocean grown, aquaculture origin, live molluscs (excluding cephalopods)

For live molluscs (except cephalopods) sourced from harvest areas accredited under the Australian Shellfish Quality Assurance Program (ASQAP) (PDF 501 KB) Export Standards:

• Exporters must enter the harvest area information in the harvest area field in the REX. This information will continue to appear in the product description field, as for current certification.
• Exporters must enter 'Not Applicable' in the free text field when completing the REX
  

For live molluscs (except cephalopods) sourced from ocean grown aquaculture areas, such as artificial reefs:

• Exporters must enter the export registration number, name and address of the licensee and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) code of the harvest site, in the free text field in the REX.
• Exporters must ensure that details are entered correctly to ensure that correct information appears on export certificates and consignments are not detained by Taiwanese officials due to inconsistencies in the details of the licensee and harvest site.
• This information will appear on the certificate in the 'Aquaculture Area' field.

Additional certification requirements for land based, aquaculture origin, live molluscs (excluding cephalopods)

For live molluscs (except cephalopods) sourced from land based aquaculture facilities:

• When raising a 'Request for Export (REX) exporters must include the name, address and establishment number (if applicable) of the land-based aquaculture facility/facilities where the product(s) have been harvested e.g. Testfarm1 Test Street Hobart TAS 2600. Exporters enter this information into a free text field located in the REX.
• Exporters must ensure that details are entered correctly to ensure that correct information appears on export certificates and consignments are not detained by Taiwanese officials due to inconsistencies in the name and address of source facilities.
• The harvest area information will appear on the certificate in a new field located above the product line called 'Aquaculture Area.'
• Inclusion of the details of the aquaculture facility on the FX46TA certificate replaces the requirement for a facilitation letter to accompany these consignments.

Live molluscs (excluding cephalopods) of wild origin

For live molluscs (excluding cephalopods and abalone) of wild origin that are being exported to Taiwan use FX46T certificate with endorsement 4782.​

For live abalone of wild origin that are being exported to Taiwan use the FX46T certificate with endorsement 4726.

Additional certification requirements for wild origin live molluscs (excluding cephalopods)

When raising a Request for Export (REX) exporters must include the harvest area (i.e. FAO code) for all consignments of live wild origin molluscs (except cephalopods). The harvest area information will appear on the certificate in a field titled ‘catch area’​.

The FX46, FX46T and FX46TA Certificates contains the following attestations:

I hereby certify that to the best of my knowledge the conditions or restrictions applicable under the particular inspection system prescribed under the Export Control Act have been complied with in respect of the prescribed goods described above, being goods that are;

1. In sound condition
2. Fit for human consumption
3. Of Australian origin

Additional endorsement 4782

The presence of biotoxins in bivalve shellfish have been managed in accordance with the requirements of the Australian Shellfish Quality Assurance Program - Export Standards.

Additional endorsement 4726

1. Australia maintains a system that meets OIE requirements for the notification of diseases and epidemiological information in aquatic animals. In respect of farmed aquatic animals, these were examined prior to harvesting for processing or transport and found to be healthy.
2. These products have been processed in accordance with Codex Alimentarius Commission Principles for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) and relevant codes of hygienic practice.
3. The exported product has been found free from infection with Perkinsus olseni.
4. The presence of biotoxins in bivalve shellfish have been managed in accordance with the requirements of the Australian Shellfish Quality Assurance Program - Export Standards.
   

Additional endorsement 4727

1. Australia maintains a system that meets OIE requirements for the notification of diseases and epidemiological information in aquatic animals. In respect of farmed aquatic animals, these were examined prior to harvesting for processing or transport and found to be healthy.
2. These products have been processed in accordance with Codex Alimentarius Commission Principles for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) and relevant codes of hygienic practice.
3. The exported product has been found free from infection with Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome.​
   
   

Frozen/chilled uneviscerated fish

Following the introduction by Taiwan of their ‘Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Frozen/Chilled Uneviscerated Fish Products’, certain species of seafood cannot be certified by the Department for export to Taiwan when in an uneviscerated state. Please refer to Taiwan's list of species (scientific names) (PDF 156 KB) which cannot currently be exported to Taiwan in an uneviscerated state.

To determine the common name for fish on Taiwan's species lists please use the Australian Fish Name Standard.

Non viable finfish, bivalves, crustaceans, echinoderms, gastropods, cephalopods and tunicates

It is a requirement that both genus and species name of each product be printed on the health certificate. These details are automatically generated through NEXDOC.

Non-viable finfish, crustaceans, echinoderms, cephalopods and tunicates

For export eligible non-viable finfish, crustaceans, echinoderms, cephalopods and tunicates, use the FX46 certificate with endorsement 4782.​

Non-viable molluscs (excluding cephalopods) of aquaculture origin

For non-viable molluscs (excluding cephalopods) of aquaculture origin that are being exported to Taiwan use the FX46 certificate with endorsement 4782.

Taiwan requires the harvest area be listed on export certificates accompanying molluscs (except cephalopods) entering Taiwan. Shipments of these products will be detained in Taiwan if they do not comply with this requirement.

Additional certification requirements for ocean grown, aquaculture origin, non-viable molluscs (excluding cephalopods)

For non-viable molluscs (except cephalopods) sourced from harvest areas accredited under the Australian Shellfish Quality Assurance Program (ASQAP) Export Standards:

• Exporters must enter the harvest area information in the harvest area field in the REX. This information will continue to appear in the product description field, as for current certification.
• Exporters must enter 'Not Applicable' in the free text field when completing the REX
  

For non-viable molluscs (except cephalopods) sourced from ocean grown aquaculture areas, such as artificial reefs:

• Exporters must enter the export registration number, name and address of the licensee and FAO code of the harvest site, in the free text field in the REX.
• Exporters must ensure that details are entered correctly to ensure that correct information appears on export certificates and consignments are not detained by Taiwanese officials due to inconsistencies in the details of the licensee and harvest site.
• This information will appear on the certificate in the 'Aquaculture Area' field.

Certification requirements for land based, aquaculture origin, non-viable molluscs (excluding cephalopods)

For non-viable molluscs (except cephalopods) sourced from land based aquaculture facilities:

• When raising a 'Request for Export (REX) exporters must include the name, address and establishment number (if applicable) of the land-based aquaculture facility/facilities where the product(s) have been harvested e.g. Testfarm1 Test Street Hobart TAS 2600. Exporters enter this information into a free text field located in the REX.
• Exporters must ensure that details are entered correctly to ensure that correct information appears on export certificates and consignments are not detained by Taiwanese officials due to inconsistencies in the name and address of source facilities.
• The harvest area information will appear on the certificate in a new field located above the product line called 'Aquaculture Area.'
• Inclusion of the details of the aquaculture facility on the FX46TA certificate replaces the requirement for a facilitation letter to accompany these consignments.

Non-viable molluscs (excluding cephalopods) of wild origin

For non-viable molluscs (except cephalopods) of wild origin that are being exported to Taiwan use FX46T certificate with endorsement 4782.

Additional certification requirements for wild origin non-viable molluscs (excluding cephalopods)

Exporters must include the harvest area information (i.e. FAO code or ASQAP harvest area) when raising a Request for Export (REX)​​ for all consignments of live wild origin molluscs (except cephalopods).

The FX46, FX46T and FX46TA Certificate as to Condition contains the following attestations:

I hereby certify that to the best of my knowledge the conditions or restrictions applicable under the particular inspection system prescribed under the Export Control Act ​have been complied with in respect of the prescribed goods described above, being goods that are;

1. In sound condition
2. Fit for human consumption
3. Of Australian origin

Additional endorsement 4782

The presence of biotoxins in bivalve shellfish have been managed in accordance with the requirements of the Australian Shellfish Quality Assurance Program - Export Standards.

For products exported to Taiwan for further processing for export to the European Union (EU)

All consignments of fish and fish products exported to Taiwan for further processing for export to the European Union (EU) must now be accompanied by an FX46 certificate with endorsement 4570, issued via NEXDOC.

All fish and fish products exported to Taiwan from Australia for further processing for export to the EU must have been produced in establishments which, at the time of production of the product, were approved to process and export fishery products to the EU.

Approved Arrangements (AA)

All EU-approved AQIS establishments and vessels which undertake processing, as defined in the Export Control (Fish and Fish Products) Orders 2005 are eligible to export fish and fish products to Taiwan for further processing for export to the EU. Amendments to your documented food management system to include the above importing country requirements may be required.

Catch Certification

Please note, for product harvested on or after 1 January 2010, consignments of fish and fish products ​exported to Taiwan for further processing for export to the EU may need to be accompanied by a IUU catch certificate attesting that the product has not been sourced in an illegal, unregulated or unreported manner.

​​There is no agreed certification for import of crocodile meat into Taiwan.

​​The Export Control (Fish and Fish Products) Rules 2021 does not regulate fish and fish products not for human consumption. Establishments processing such products are not required to be export registered with the Department unless it is a requirement of the importing country. Exporters are encouraged to confirm the eligibility and import requirements of their product with their importer, or directly with the importing country competent authority prior to export.

Importing countries may require a health certificate be provided for fish and fish products not for human consumption. If a health certificate is required, contact the department’s non-prescribed goods program at NPGExports@aff.gov.au for further information.

The Department is not aware of any prohibited fish products. Additional information relating to fish and fish products not for human consumption may also be found on the corresponding Meat Micor page. Exporters should check with their importers to determine if the products are permitted for import to Taiwan.