Promulgated by Order No. 280 of the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China on October 14, 2025; effective June 1, 2026.
Table of Contents
Chapter I — General Provisions
Article 1 — For the purposes of strengthening the administration of the registration of overseas manufacturers of imported food, these Provisions are formulated in accordance with the Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China and its implementing regulations, the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Import and Export Commodity Inspection and its implementing regulations, the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine and its implementing regulations, the Special Provisions of the State Council on Strengthening the Supervision and Administration of the Safety of Food and Other Products, and other laws and administrative regulations.
Article 2 — These Provisions apply to the administration of the registration of overseas manufacturers, processors and storage enterprises (hereinafter collectively referred to as “overseas manufacturers of imported food”) that export food to the territory of China.
The overseas manufacturers of imported food referred to in the preceding paragraph do not include enterprises that manufacture, process or store food additives and food-related products.
Article 3 — The General Administration of Customs (GACC) shall be uniformly responsible for the administration of the registration of overseas manufacturers of imported food.
Article 4 — Overseas manufacturers of imported food shall be registered with the GACC.
Article 5 — The GACC shall, in accordance with the principle of risk management and based on the assessment and review of the food safety management systems and food safety conditions of the countries (regions) where the overseas manufacturers of imported food are located, and in light of the risk levels of the relevant food, implement category-based administration of overseas manufacturers of imported food, and determine the corresponding registration methods, application materials, review procedures and other registration administration requirements.
Where it is found through risk assessment or there is evidence that the food safety risks of imported food have changed, the GACC may adjust the corresponding registration administration requirements.
Chapter II — Registration Conditions and Procedures
Article 6 — The GACC shall, based on its analysis of factors such as the sources of raw materials of food, production and processing techniques, historical food safety data, consumer groups and consumption methods, and in light of international practice, determine and publish the catalogue of imported food requiring official recommendation for registration (hereinafter the “Catalogue”).
Article 7 — The conditions for the registration of overseas manufacturers of imported food are:
(1) the enterprise has been approved for establishment by the competent authority of the country (region) where it is located and is under its effective supervision;
(2) the enterprise has established an effective food safety and hygiene management and protection system, lawfully produces and exports in the country (region) where it is located, and ensures that the food exported to the territory of China complies with China’s relevant laws and regulations and national food safety standards; and
(3) the enterprise complies with the relevant inspection and quarantine requirements agreed between the GACC and the competent authority of the country (region) where it is located.
Overseas manufacturers of food listed in the Catalogue shall also obtain a recommendation from the competent authority of the country (region) where they are located.
Article 8 — With respect to overseas manufacturers of food listed in the Catalogue, the competent authority of the country (region) where they are located shall conduct review and inspection of the enterprises and issue a review and inspection report and a recommendation letter for those that meet the registration requirements.
Article 9 — An overseas manufacturer of imported food shall, by itself or through an agent, submit the following application materials to the GACC:
(1) enterprise registration application information;
(2) enterprise identity certification documents, such as the business license issued by the competent authority of the country (region) where it is located or a certificate issued by such authority; and
(3) a statement by the enterprise undertaking to comply with the requirements of these Provisions.
Overseas manufacturers of food listed in the Catalogue shall also submit the review and inspection report and the recommendation letter issued by the competent authority of the country (region) where they are located.
Where necessary, the GACC may require the enterprise to provide materials such as its food safety and hygiene and protection system, production types and production capacity.
Article 10 — The enterprise registration application information shall include the enterprise name, the country (region) where it is located, the address of the production site, the legal representative, the contact person, contact information, the registration number approved by the competent authority of the country (region) where it is located, the types of food for which registration is applied, and other information.
Article 11 — Registration application materials shall be in Chinese or English.
The competent authority of the country (region) where the enterprise is located and the overseas manufacturer of imported food shall be responsible for the authenticity, completeness and legality of the relevant materials.
Article 12 — The GACC shall, based on the food safety risk levels of imported food, by itself or by commissioning relevant institutions, conduct assessment and review of overseas manufacturers of imported food applying for registration through written inspection, video inspection, on-site inspection and other forms and combinations thereof.
Overseas manufacturers of imported food and the competent authorities of the countries (regions) where they are located shall assist in the above assessment and review work.
Article 13 — The GACC shall, based on the assessment and review results, register overseas manufacturers of imported food that meet the requirements and assign them a registration number in China, and notify them in writing; it shall not register overseas manufacturers of imported food that do not meet the requirements, and shall notify them in writing.
Article 14 — When an enterprise that has obtained registration exports food to the territory of China, it shall mark on the food packaging its registration number in China or the registration number approved by the competent authority of the country (region) where it is located.
Article 15 — The registration of an overseas manufacturer of imported food is valid for 5 years.
When registering an overseas manufacturer of imported food, the GACC shall determine the start and end dates of the registration validity period.
Article 16 — The GACC shall uniformly publish the list of overseas manufacturers of imported food that have obtained registration.
Article 17 — Where the food safety management system of the country (region) where an overseas manufacturer of imported food is located has been recognized by the GACC, and any of the following circumstances is met, the GACC may agree in writing with the competent authority of the country (region) where the enterprise is located to adopt the list-based registration method for its enterprises:
(1) a food safety cooperation agreement on import and export food has been signed with the GACC;
(2) cooperation documents such as agreements, memorandums or joint statements containing food safety cooperation content have been signed with China; or
(3) other circumstances in which the GACC determines, through risk assessment, that the list-based registration method may be adopted.
Article 18 — Where the list-based registration method is adopted, the competent authority of the country (region) where the enterprise is located shall submit the following materials to the GACC:
(1) a list of food manufacturers recommended for registration in China;
(2) the application information listed in Article 10 of these Provisions;
(3) a statement that the recommended enterprises meet paragraph 1 of Article 7 of these Provisions; and
(4) a statement undertaking to continuously fulfill the responsibilities agreed in the bilateral cooperation documents.
The GACC shall, upon review, register the enterprises on the list that meet the requirements and assign them registration numbers in China, and shall not register the enterprises on the list that do not meet the requirements, notifying the competent authority of the country (region) where they are located in writing.
Chapter III — Supervision and Administration
Article 19 — The GACC shall, based on the food safety risk levels of imported food, by itself or by commissioning relevant institutions, conduct re-inspection of whether overseas manufacturers of imported food continuously meet the registration requirements.
Overseas manufacturers of imported food and the competent authorities of the countries (regions) where they are located shall assist in the above re-inspection work.
Article 20 — Where the registration information of an overseas manufacturer of imported food changes during the registration validity period, the enterprise shall submit a change application to the GACC through the registration application channel and submit the following materials:
(1) a comparison table of the changed registration items; and
(2) certification materials related to the changed information.
Where the GACC determines after assessment that the change may be made, it shall approve the change; where there are circumstances that have a material impact on the enterprise’s food safety and hygiene management and protection system, such as relocation of the production site, change of the legal representative, or change of the registration number granted by the country (region) where it is located, the GACC shall not approve the change, shall notify the enterprise to re-apply for registration, and the registration number in China shall become invalid from the date of the notice.
Article 21 — Upon expiry of the registration validity period of an enterprise, the registration shall be automatically renewed for a renewal period of 5 years, except in any of the following circumstances:
(1) the imported food is included in the list of food not subject to automatic renewal of registration;
(2) the enterprise is in a rectification period for failure to meet the registration requirements; or
(3) the GACC has, in accordance with law, suspended the import of the relevant food from the country (region) where the overseas manufacturer of imported food is located.
The list of imported food not subject to automatic renewal of registration referred to in item (1) of the preceding paragraph shall be published separately by the GACC.
Article 22 — Where an overseas manufacturer of food listed in the list of food not subject to automatic renewal of registration needs to renew its registration, it shall, within 3 to 12 months before the expiry of the registration validity period, submit a renewal application to the GACC through the registration application channel. The renewal application materials include:
(1) renewal application information;
(2) a statement undertaking to continuously comply with the registration requirements; and
(3) for overseas manufacturers of food listed in the Catalogue, a statement issued by the competent authority of the country (region) where the enterprise is located certifying continued compliance with the registration requirements.
The GACC shall renew the registration of enterprises that meet the registration requirements, and the registration validity period shall be extended by 5 years.
Article 23 — Where a registered overseas manufacturer of imported food falls under any of the following circumstances, the GACC shall cancel its registration, notify the overseas manufacturer of imported food, inform the competent authority of the country (region) where it is located, and make a public announcement:
(1) it fails to apply for renewal of registration in accordance with the provisions;
(2) the competent authority of the country (region) where it is located or the overseas manufacturer of imported food voluntarily applies for cancellation; or
(3) it no longer meets the requirement of item (1) of paragraph 1 of Article 7 of these Provisions.
Article 24 — The competent authority of the country (region) where an overseas manufacturer of imported food is located shall fulfill its food safety supervision responsibilities, exercise effective supervision over registered enterprises, urge registered enterprises to continuously comply with the registration requirements, and, where it finds that an enterprise fails to meet the registration requirements, immediately take risk prevention, control and mitigation measures, suspend the export of food by the relevant enterprise to China, report to the GACC, and supervise the enterprise’s rectification until it complies with the registration requirements.
Where an overseas manufacturer of imported food finds that it does not meet the registration requirements, it shall voluntarily suspend the export of food to China and immediately take rectification measures until the rectification complies with the registration requirements.
Article 25 — Where the GACC finds that a registered overseas manufacturer of imported food no longer meets the registration requirements, it shall order the enterprise to make rectification within a prescribed period, notify the competent authority of the country (region) where the enterprise is located to supervise the rectification, and suspend the import of food by the relevant enterprise during the rectification period.
After completing rectification, the enterprise shall submit a supervision and rectification report issued by the competent authority of the country (region) where it is located and a written statement of compliance with the registration requirements.
The GACC shall review the enterprise’s rectification, and where it meets the requirements, resume the import of food by the relevant enterprise.
Article 26 — Where the GACC suspends or resumes the import of food by registered overseas manufacturers of imported food in accordance with Articles 24 and 25 of these Provisions, the list of the relevant enterprises shall be published by the GACC.
Article 27 — Where a registered overseas manufacturer of imported food falls under any of the following circumstances, the GACC shall revoke its registration and make a public announcement:
(1) a major food safety incident involving imported food has occurred due to the enterprise’s own reasons;
(2) food safety problems are discovered during entry inspection and quarantine of food exported by the enterprise to the territory of China, and the circumstances are serious;
(3) there are major problems in the enterprise’s food safety and hygiene management, and it cannot ensure that the food it exports to the territory of China meets the safety and hygiene requirements;
(4) it still fails to meet the registration requirements after rectification;
(5) it provides false materials or conceals relevant information;
(6) it refuses to cooperate with the GACC in re-inspection and incident investigation;
(7) it leases, lends, transfers, resells or fraudulently uses the registration number;
(8) registration was granted to an enterprise that does not have the application qualifications or does not meet the registration conditions; or
(9) other circumstances in which the registration may be revoked in accordance with law.
Chapter IV — Supplementary Provisions
Article 28 — Where the GACC suspends, in accordance with law, the import of the relevant food from the country (region) where overseas manufacturers of imported food are located, registration applications of manufacturers of the relevant food from that country (region) shall not be accepted during the suspension period.
Article 29 — Where the relevant countries (regions) and China have other agreements on the administration of the registration of overseas manufacturers of imported food, such agreements shall prevail.
Article 30 — The scope of overseas storage enterprises of imported food subject to registration administration in accordance with these Provisions shall be published separately by the GACC.
The administration of the registration of overseas manufacturers of primary edible agricultural products shall be formulated separately by the GACC.
The administration requirements for overseas manufacturers of cross-border e-commerce retail imported food shall be handled in accordance with the relevant provisions.
Article 31 — For the purposes of these Provisions, “the competent authority of the country (region) where the enterprise is located” means the official department of the country (region) where the overseas manufacturer of imported food is located that is responsible for the safety and hygiene supervision of food manufacturers.
Article 32 — These Provisions shall be interpreted by the GACC.
Article 33 — These Provisions shall take effect on June 1, 2026. The Provisions of the People’s Republic of China on the Administration of the Registration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food (GACC Order No. 248 of April 12, 2021) shall be repealed simultaneously.
Disclaimer: This translation is provided for general informational and reference purposes only by Dan Young Business Consultancy. It is an unofficial English rendering of the original Chinese text, which remains the sole authoritative version. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, no warranty is given as to the completeness, accuracy or currency of the translation, and it should not be relied upon as legal advice. For matters concerning the registration of overseas manufacturers of imported food, please consult a qualified professional or the competent authorities directly.
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