Plant based oils

Country
China (CN)
Group
Processed plant products
End use
Consumption
NPPO Details
General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC)
Relevant Web Addresses
http://english.customs.gov.cn/
http://dzs.customs.gov.cn/dzs/2595646/index.html
Criteria Criteria Required?
Import Permit No
Phytosanitary Certificate Refer below
Additional Declaration/Endorsement Refer below
Protocol Market No

Consignments are to be free from pests, soil, weed seeds and extraneous material.

China food registration:

Effective from 1 January 2022, the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) implemented changes to registration and labelling requirements for food processing and storage facilities handling food exported to China.

For plant products, these requirements apply to edible grains, milled grain products, malt, fresh-kept/preserved and dehydrated vegetables, dry beans, nuts, seeds, dry fruits, unroasted coffee and cocoa beans.

These requirements do not apply to fresh fruit, unprocessed wheat and unprocessed barley.

Further information on the registration and labelling requirements can be found on the Micor Plants Documents page. 


Case applies to virgin and other plant-based oils which will be further processed in China, including canola, olive and vegetable, exported in bulk. Plant-based oils (refined and virgin) in retail packaging and refined oils which will not be further processed in China exported in bulk do not require phytosanitary certificates.

Australia considers plant based oils as highly processed plant products with minimal phytosanitary risks. However, China requires a phytosanitary certificate for plant based oils. In order to obtain a phytosanitary certificate with EXDOC Endorsement 1563, exporters must provide a signed declaration to the Assessment Services Group at PlantExportsNDH@aff.gov.au when requesting export authorisation of a plant based oil. The declaration must indicate that the oil has been produced commercially and undergone sufficient processing to mitigate phytosanitary risks. As a minimum the below criteria should be addressed as applicable:

  • evidence of the manufacturing process, such as cleaning, treatment (heat, chemical or cold pressed) and storage
  • the name of the type of oil (non-commercial description)
  • evidence of washing and cleaning of product (required for olive oil products only)
  • oil does not contain any plant based contaminant such as leaves, stem, roots, seeds etc and is also free of any animal contents
  • manufacturers address
  • for imported oils, country of origin must be specified in the exporter's declaration
  • the type of packaging used for the oil at export.
For oil shipped in bulk vessels, the declaration needs to include the last three cargoes carried in the vessel and steps taken to ensure the vessel is fit for loading oil for human consumption.

Exporter declarations do not come in a standard format and can be presented in any form that effectively conveys the required information. If there are any issues providing the above the exporter should contact the Grain and Seed Export Program via email at grain.export@aff.gov.au.

Note:
  • Exporters must obtain export authorisation and the accompanying phytosanitary certificate prior to export.
  • The above conditions may apply to some cosmetic/essential oils. Exporters of cosmetic/essential oils should confirm the import requirements that specifically apply to their product, including whether or not a phytosanitary certificate is required, prior to export.
  • For cosmetic/essential oil, pre-market approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) is required prior to import into China. Exporters of cosmetic/essential oil should contact the NMPA for obtaining approval for the first import into China.
Option 1 (EXDOC Endorsement 1563)
1) The products described above have been processed to the point where they do not remain capable of being infested with quarantine pests.
Chinese Quarantine Regulations verified on 8January 2019 and request from an exporter received on 1 July 2020. Advice from post, August 2024.
06/01/2025 - Updated general requirements to state for oil shipped in bulk vessels, the declaration needs to include the last three cargoes carried in the vessel and steps taken to ensure the vessel is fit for loading oil for human consumption.
26/08/2024 - Updated general requirements to clarify when the case applies.
09/04/2024 - Updated general requirements to state case applies to all virgin plant-based oils including canola, olive and vegetable, exported in bulk.
22/11/2023 - Updated general requirements to state case applies to all virgin plant-based oils including canola, olive and vegetable, exported in bulk.
13/02/2022 - Updated general requirements for NMPA’s pre-market approval requirement(removed a broken link and added a link to the NMPA’s main page).
10/02/2021 - Updated general requirements - clarified that consignments must be authorised prior to export.
Initial Uploaded: 09/01/2019
Reviewed Uploaded: 18/07/2026