Export requirements for China market

Important note

The export requirements library outlines destination country requirements you need to meet when exporting. Their purpose is to facilitate access to overseas markets for Cambodian exporters.

The destination country conditions provided below are based on information available Department of Post-harvest Technologies and Quality Control (DFPTQ) at the time of posting (June 2024). Before you commence full-scale production and export your products to a foreign market, it is your responsibility to confirm the current import, regulatory and commercial requirements with the importer and the foreign competent authority. You are responsible for ensuring that your exports comply with applicable Cambodian and importing country requirements. When you request an export certificate, the DFPTQ may request that you provide written documentation or verification to confirm that your products have met Cambodian and importing country requirements.

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Some of the information on this Web page has been provided by external sources. The Department of Post-harvest Technologies and Quality Control (DFPTQ) is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability or currency of the information supplied by external sources. Users wishing to rely upon this information should consult directly with the source of the information. Content provided by external sources is not subject to official languages, privacy and accessibility requirements.

Eligible/ineligible product

Eligible

All fish and seafood products for species that have been approved for export to China (please see below for full list of approved live and non-live products eligible to be exported to China)

Fish and seafood products eligible to be exported to China

Establishments can only export live and non-live fish and seafood species which have been approved for export to China
Exporters are encouraged to confirm with Chinese importers that they meet China’s requirements prior to exporting
The following lists are implemented by the General Administrations of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) and their China Inspection and Quarantine (CIQ) branches at ports of entry:
- Live species: List of live aquatic animals (by family) approved for export to China (available in Chinese only – food products located on first tab)
- Non-live species: List of non-live aquatic animals (by species) approved for export to China (available in Chinese only)
To add a product to either list, establishments are asked to contact Department of Post-harvest Technologies and Quality Control (DFPTQ) for further information.

Ineligible

Edible seal products

Pre-export approvals by competent authority of importing country

Export of live aquatic animals to China

List of Cambodian Live Aquatic Animal Establishments Registered to export to China In order to export to China, establishments who process, label, pack and/or store live aquatic animals must appear on China’s List of live aquatic animal establishments registered to export to China (available in Chinese only) administered by GACC.

Procedure to add, modify or delete a live aquatic animal establishment registered to export to China

The DFPTQ must recommend the approval of establishments for listing by GACC.
Please contact your local DFPTQ office to initiate a request and provide relevant documentations as necessary.

Note: Before final approval, GACC may request additional information and/or audit the establishment.
Establishments that export only live aquatic animals do not need to be registered in the China Import Food Enterprise Registration (CIFER) system.
Establishments involved in the export to China of both live and non-live products prior to export to China must be on the List of live aquatic animal establishments posted on GACC website and also be added to the establishment list of DFPTQ.

Export of non-live aquatic animals to China

China Decrees 248 and 249

As of January 1, 2022, food establishments that manufacture, process or store foods (cold or dry storages) must be registered with China’s General Administration of Customs China (GACC) prior to export to China
Certain types of foods have been classified by GACC as “high risk” or “medium risk”. All other foods are considered by GACC to be “low risk”
Note: fish and seafood products are classified by GACC as “high risk” foods
Establishments that only ship live fish and seafood products do not need to appear in GACC’s establishment list in the China Import Food Enterprise Registration (CIFER) system at this time
CIFER profiles (also called accounts)
To be eligible to export fish and seafood to China for human consumption, all fish establishments, including fishing vessels (involved in the production and processing of fish), and cold or dry storage warehouses must:
- have an account (a profile) in the CIFER online system operated by GACC
- have their account in CIFER “certified” by DFPTQ in order to be able to submit an application for registration
- be individually approved by GACC, including the registration of their products, in CIFER
Registration and other processes in CIFER
All applications for registration, modification, cancellation, and renewal must be submitted in CIFER by the establishment to the DFPTQ for review
The DFPTQ will forward the request to GACC for final approval when the DFPTQ’s review of the application is complete or will return the application to the establishment for amendments if required
GACC conducts its own reviews and approvals, the timelines for GACC’s review and approval processes are often lengthy and variable
When an establishment that is already on the list undergoes a name change, the documentation and labelling must identify the previous legal name, as recorded on the list in CIFER, until such time as the list is officially amended
DFPTQ is unable to implement any changes to the CIFER system or processes
Note: Further information on CIFER applications can be found in the Industry Guidance

Verifying establishment registration in CIFER
A list of all registered enterprises can be found in the CIFER query system
Product specifications

Maximum levels for chemical contaminants

Lead: 0.5 ppm
Inorganic arsenic: 0.1 ppm for finfish / 0.5 ppm for all other fish
Cadmium: 0.1 ppm (finfish only)
Total PCB: 2.0 ppm (sum of PCB congeners #28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153 and 180)
PCB 138: 0.5 ppm
PCB 153: 0.5 ppm

Maximum levels for therapeutants and antibiotics

Item	Products	Maximum level
Crystal violet (and Leucocrystal violet)	Aquaculture and wild caught fresh water fish	None detected
Malachite Green (and Leucomalachite Green)	Aquaculture and wild caught fresh water fish	None detected
Terramycin	Not specified	0.1 mg/kg muscle (1 mg/kg = 1 ppm)

Packaging, labelling and marking requirements

As of January 1, 2022:

The inner and outer packaging should have strong, clear, and legible Chinese and English or Chinese and export country (region) text marks, indicating the following:
- name of the goods and scientific name
- specifications
- production date
- lot number
- shelf life
- storage conditions
- production method (seawater fishing, freshwater fishing, aquaculture)
- production area (ocean fishing areas, freshwater fishing countries or regions, countries or regions where the aquaculture products are located)
- all production and processing enterprises involved (including fishing vessels, processing vessels, and transport vessels and an independent cold store) name, registration number and address (specific to the state/province/city)
- the destination must be marked as the People’s Republic of China
For aquatic products entering directly into the domestic consumer market the labelling requirements must be implemented item by item
For products not entering directly into the domestic consumer market (including raw materials for processing and re-export), pallets, containers and shipping cabins may be used as independent packaging units to indicate the labelling requirements
If the liner is a ‘closed plastic bag’, an inner label is required to be attached to the bag.
If the liner is ‘not closed’, an inner label is not required.

Note: the packaging and labelling requirements of foods produced before January 1, 2022, shall follow the original requirements that were in place prior to the implementation of Decrees 248 and 249.

Establishment Registration Number on packaging:

Fish and seafood products produced on or after January 1, 2022, shall be marked on the inner and outer packaging with China’s registration number or the DFPTQ unique establishment number
It is the responsibility of exporters to communicate with their importers in China to ensure that the packaging, labelling and marking meet the Chinese import requirements

Certificate

Note: exporters are responsible for ensuring that the establishment is eligible to ship the products being certified. Exporters may contact their local DFPTQ office for information on how to add additional products if they want to ship products that they are not currently approved for in CIFER.

Other information

Further information on import requirements can be obtained from the General Administrations of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC)

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