In order to ensure the quality and safety of
imported food products and to regulate the administration of
such products, china has implemented a multi-tiered supervision
system with regard to imported food
products.
Imported food products include: food, food additives, food
containers, packaging materials, food utensils and equipment to be
imported, or food generally known as "imported food products".
The relevant laws an regulations include: Food Safety Law of the PRC
, Import and Export Animal and Plant Quarantine Law, Import and
Export Commodity Inspection Law, Administration of Registration of
Foreign Production Enterprises of Imported Food, Imported food
importers and exporters filing regulations, Measures for the
Administration of Health Food, Measures for the administration of
import and export food labels, etc.
First of all , If the Foreign food Manufacturer’s products are first
time import to china, there are many pre-approval procedure must be
conducted first, this step is often overlooked, causing a lot of
problems.
If you do not have such pre-approval registration/filing numbers,
licenses or certificates issued by china relevant authorities , even
these products already in the china port, they are not allowed to
enter the country and will be returned to the consignor.
And these pre-approval process usually need several weeks, months,
even years to Complete, your products are impossible stay in the
customs supervision warehouse for so long.
If have a bad record in customs & CIQ system, will have more
negative influent on the future of imports.
1.
GACC
filing: All Foreign Food facility and exporter/agent need GACC
Filing, and need appoint a china local company as its china
representative agent (CRA)/ or trade partner. After the GACC filing
process, each of Foreign Food Facility/Exporter/Agent will get a
filing number, and the list of exporters /agents which have
completed filing will be published on the
GACC website. In each import process, need fill this filing
number in customs declaration and CIQ inspection application forms.
2.
CNCA
registration:
all
Meat, Aquatic, Dairy
Products Foreign Food
manufacturing enterprise
need apply
CNCAregistration.
Such Food products of foreign production enterprises not registered
are banned from importation.
3.
CFDA
registration:
For functional heath food, nutritional supplements,
Foods for special medical purpose
,
need apply CFDA registration, such products without CFDA certificate
are banned from importation.
4.MOA
certification:
ForGMO-(Genetically
modified organisms) food,
need apply MOA
GMO
products safety certification and labing,
For animal feed product (Such as Dog,Cat,Pet foods), need apply
imported feed register, such products without CFDA certificate
and
labing
are banned from importation.
5.
Pre-packaged foods Chinese Label CIQ approval: Imported
pre-packaged foods must come with Chinese labelling, the content of
which should comply with the China National Standards(GB7718-2004,
GB10344-2005, GB13432-2004 etc.) and regulations about relevant
products Labling, only after pass the CIQ inspection, get the
chinese label filing number, then can be Affixed on the packaging of
foods
6.
Imported Food Products initial testing:
the product quality of imported foods must comply with the China
food safety National Standards and relevant Sanitary & quality
regulations, so the Food Products initial testing is
necessary, usually all china distributors, supermarkets, food shops,
etc, need keep such imported food testing report, backup for the
CFDA market supervision.
And, if you not conduct such initial testing in advance, when the
china port CIQ find out that your products are not complied with the
China food safety regulations in the Food Sanitary inspection
process, then all products will be returned to consignor or
destroyed. You will occur big loss.
II. The follow are the Foreign Food Imported to China main Procedure
& Quotation:
Step 1. Foreign
Food facility and exporter registration/Filing:
Heavy metals, microbial, physical and chemical indicators, ,
Banned additives, water activity, commercial sterility,
veterinary drug residues, pesticide residues, etc.
1-2 Months
inquire us
Pickled food
Pickles, sauces, spices, Preserves, etc.
Heavy metals, microbial, physical and chemical indicators,
Banned additives, water activity, commercially sterile,
pesticide residues, harmful derivatives (such as nitrite)
etc.
1-2 Months
inquire us
Soft drinks
Juice, cola, Liquid tea, Liquid coffee, soda, etc.
Heavy metals, microbial, physical and chemical indicators,
pesticide residues, Banned additives, commercial sterility;
etc.
1-2 Months
inquire us
Low Alcoholic Drink
Wine, beer, sake, etc.
Heavy metals, microbial, physical and chemical indicators,
Banned additives, ingredients of alcohols, aldehydes,
esters,; etc.
1-2 Months
inquire us
Highly Alcohol
Whiskey, brandy, vodka etc.
Heavy metals, microbial, physical and chemical indicators ,
Banned additives, ingredients of alcohols, aldehydes,
esters; etc.
1-2 Months
inquire us
Milk powder
Infant formula, Milk powder, Protein powder, Whey protein,
etc.
Heavy metals, microbial, physical and chemical indicators,
Banned additives, Nutrition ingredients; (about 50-100
items) etc.
2-3 Months
inquire us
Dairy Food
Liquid milk, yogurt, cheese, butter,etc.
Heavy metals, microbial, physical and chemical indicators ,
Banned additives, commercial sterility etc.
1-2 Months
inquire us
Cooked/Cured meat food
Sausages,
Bacon,
Ham, dried/salted/smoked meat,
Sauced/Braised meat,
Grilled meat,etc.
Heavy metals, microbial, physical and chemical indicators ,
Banned additives, Moisture, commercially sterile,
Veterinary drug residues, antibiotic residues ,pesticide
residues,
Peroxide Value, harmful derivatives (such as nitrite),etc
1-2 Months
inquire us
Note:
the above are only the Common food categories, if your products are
not in them, enquire us for detail offer.
2.
Health food, nutritional supplements,
Foods for special medical purpose
CFDA registration:
NO.
ITEM
Cost
(USD)
TIME
VALID
NOTE
1
Functional Health foods
inquire us
2-4 years
5 years
27 function claims
2
Nutritional supplements
inquire us
1-2 years
5 years
Vitamins, Minerals
3
Foods for special medical purpose
inquire us
1-3 years
5 years
Some need clinical trial
3. Other Special imported food products pre-approval service
(This step usually is the Domestic importer’s duty, not the
Foreign Food Exporter liability, but if need us do such job as
customs broker, the follow are our service items and fee )
NO.
ITEM
Cost
(USD)
TIME
VALID
NOTE
1
Domestic Food Importer CIQ filing
Ask us for
4-8 weeks
1 years
Compulsory by
CIQ
2
Domestic Meat Food Importer CIQ Registration
Ask us for
3-6 months
1 years
Compulsory by CIQ
3
Apply for Food business License
Ask us for
3-6 months
1 years
Compulsory by CFDA
4
Apply for entry animals and plants quarantine license
Ask us for
1-4 weeks
once
Raw food need
5
CIQ inspection, quarantine and Food Sanitary inspection
Ask us for
2-4 weeks
once
Depend on each import Lot
6
Customs declaration & clearance
Ask us for
1-2 weeks
once
Depend on each import Lot
The government official charge as According to the actual
charge, depend on the types of goods, quantity, and value,
include
:
1、
TARIFF:
Customs Duty, VAT, Consumption Tax, etc.
2、
DOCK COST:
THC/ORC, delivery charge, storage charge, security charge,
etc.
Abbreviation of Supervisory department:
l
CIQ-China
Entry-exit Inspection & Quarantine Bureau
l
CFDA-China
Food and Drug Administration
l
CNCA-Certification
& Accreditation Administration of China
l
MOA-Ministry
of Agriculture
l
MOFCOM-Ministry
of Commerce
l
GACC-General
Administration of Customs of China
III. For Foreign Food manufacturing enterprise CNCA
registration, CFDA registration, CIQ filing, CIQ commodity
inspection & quarantine, Customs declaration and inspection
procedure, the follow documents should be collected and submitted to
the relative administration department:
1.Relevant Register/Filing Application form
2.Entry goods customs declaration form
3.Entry goods CIQ inspection form.
4.Authorization letter (for CFDA registration ,CIQ Inspection,
Customs declaration, etc.)
5.Foreign Food Facility/Exporter and China Importer/ Consignee
CIQ register/filing number.
6.China Importer/Consignee Food business
license or Function health Food business license.
7.FSC-Free
Sale Certificate
8.Product quality test report (issued by china
relevant official Lab.)
9.Original and Chinese packaging label sample, and CIQ approval
filing number.