1.1. Prohibited

Unless specified within the commodity list below, the Department is not aware of any edible non-prescribed goods (NPG) prohibited for export to China.

1.2 Conditions

Chinese government registration is required for all food processing and cold storage facilities handling food exported to China. This is detailed in the GACC decrees:

• Decree 248 – Regulations on the Registration and Administration of Overseas Producers of Imported Food
• Decree 249 – Administrative measures on Import and Export Food Safety.

All Australian food manufacturers, processors and storage establishments exporting food to China need to register their business and food products in the China Import Food Enterprise Registration (CIFER) system and be approved by the General Administration of Customs China (GACC). China has identified 18 classifications of food that require Australian government verification of food production and storage. The management of these products is detailed in Section A below. Section B applies to all other foods exported to China.

The Department is working with China to identify the process to export new or additional products to China and will update this information when available.

Section A.

Article 7 of Decree 248 - Food processing and cold storage facilities handling products for export to China that require Departmental recommendation for registration with China

Article 7 of Decree 248 requires the following foods to come from GACC registered food processing and cold storage facilities:

• Meat and meat products, casings, aquatic/seafood products, dairy products, eggs and egg products*, bee products, edible fats and oils, stuffed pasty products, edible grains, milled grain products and malt, fresh-kept/ preserved and dehydrated vegetables and dry beans, plant spices, nuts and seeds, dry fruits, frozen fruit, unroasted coffee and cocoa beans, food for special dietary uses, and health foods.
• Please note: Some frozen fruits have been removed from requirements of Article 7 of Decree 248 and exporters need to check with Chinese importers before exporting to China.
  *Australia does not have market access for eggs and egg products.

After you have logged into the CIFER system, find the ‘Product type query’ on the left-hand menu and you can create a query for the Harmonized System (HS) Codes, China Inspection and Quarantine (CIQ) codes and products names, for which you are required to be registered with GACC.

Refer to the relevant Micor pages for registration requirements for:

• meat and meat products, including casings
• aquatic/seafood products
• dairy products
• plant products, including edible grains, milled grain products, malt, oilseeds, fresh-kept/ preserved vegetables, dry beans. nuts, seeds, and unroasted coffee and cocoa beans.

If your product is listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, then you should contact the Therapeutic Goods Administration about registering with China at complementary.medicines@health.gov.au.

Facilities requiring registration with GACC include:

• food processing facilities that carry out the final processing step
• cold storage facilities used before export.

Each physical facility (location) needs to be registered.

Facilities not requiring registration with GACC in CIFER are those which are not processing or storage facilities. and do not include:

• freight forwarders that do not store products for an extended period
• brokers
• other export businesses or brand owners that do not handle or store food.

Applications for recommendations for registration with GACC

GACC confirmation of registration required prior to export

Facility registration must be approved and published on GACC’s Registration information of overseas manufacturers of imported food website before a food produced or stored in that facility can be exported to China. This information will be used by GACC border officials as the basis for border clearance.

Food labelling requirements for products registered with GACC

In addition to the existing labelling of the exported product, the processing facility registration number is required on the label.

The storage facility registration number is not required on the label.

The processing facility registration number can be either the:

• competent authority issued registration number – Establishment Register (ER) number, or
• GACC issued registration number (CHINA REG. NO.) as published on GACC’s Registration information of overseas manufacturers of imported food.

The processing facility registration number must be on both the:

• inner packaging (smallest sale unit), and
• outer packaging (transport packaging).

Bulk goods in containers or vessels with no packaging must include the processing facility number on commercial documentation accompanying the export.

For all foods, except foods for special dietary uses and health foods, the processing facility registration number can either be:

• printed on original packaging, or
• affixed using a stick-on/adhesive label.

For foods for special dietary uses and health foods, the processing facility registration number must be printed on the original packaging only. Stick-on/adhesive labels will not be accepted.

Section B.

Article 9 of Decree 248: Food processing facilities requiring businesses to self-register with GACC through the CIFER Single Window System

Article 9 of Decree 248 requires the food processing facility producing food other than those listed in Article 7 (Section A, to be self-registered with GACC (that is, Article 9 foods).

Using ‘Product type query’ from the CIFER system’s left-hand menu column, you can query the HS Codes, CIQ codes and products names, for which processing and storage facilities are required to be registered with GACC.

Facilities that only handle Article 9 foods must be self-registered through the GACC CIFER system. The registration can be completed by the facility or through an agent.

After login into the CIFER system, guidance on the self-registration process for CIFER can be found under ‘Operation manual’ on the system’s left-hand menu column.

Facilities that are registered with GACC for Article 7 foods (refer to Section A) must use the login details provided by the department to access the GACC CIFER system to register Article 9 foods. If you do not have your login details, contact ExportListing.agriculture.gov.au.

GACC confirmation of registration required prior to export

Facility registration must be approved and published on GACC’s Registration information of overseas manufacturers of imported food website before consignments of food can be exported to China. This information will be used by GACC border officials as the basis for border clearance.

Food labelling requirements for food self-registered with GACC through the CIFER system

In addition to the existing labelling relevant to the product type, the processing facility registration number is required on the label. The storage facility registration number is not required on the label.​

Facility registration number can be either the:

• competent authority issued registration number (that is either the Department establishment number, domestic government food business registration, ABN or ACN)
• GACC issued registration number provided through the GACC CIFER system.

The facility registration number must be on both the:

• inner packaging (smallest sale unit), and
• outer packaging (transport packaging)

The facility registration number can be either:

• printed on original packaging, or
• affixed using a stick-on/ adhesive label.

3.1 ​Governm​ent certification

The Department is unaware of any certification requirements for edible non-prescribed goods to China.

An unendorsed EX188B certificate (manual only) can be issued for processed food, ingredients and beverages. Exporters should check certificate requirements with their importer, or if needed the importing country authority.

For information about edible non-prescribed goods containing ingredients derived from meat refer to Micor Meat.

Some processed plant products such as pancake mix require a phytosanitary certificate.

For further information refer to Micor Plants – China.​