Promulgated by the State Council on January 3, 1983; amended for the first time in accordance with the Decision of the State Council on Amending the Regulations on Plant Quarantine on May 13, 1992; amended for the second time in accordance with the Decision of the State Council on Amending Certain Administrative Regulations on October 7, 2017; amended for the third time in accordance with the Decision of the State Council on Amending and Repealing Certain Administrative Regulations on January 30, 2026
Article 1 — These Regulations are formulated to prevent the spread of dangerous diseases, insects and weeds that harm plants, and to protect the safety of agricultural and forestry production.
Article 2 — The agriculture competent department and the forestry competent department of the State Council are in charge of plant quarantine work nationwide, and the agriculture competent departments and forestry competent departments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government are in charge of plant quarantine work within their respective regions.
Article 3 — The plant quarantine institutions affiliated to the agriculture competent departments and forestry competent departments of local people’s governments at or above the county level are responsible for carrying out the state plant quarantine tasks.
Plant quarantine personnel entering railway stations, airports, ports, warehouses and other relevant premises to perform plant quarantine tasks shall wear quarantine uniforms and quarantine markings.
Article 4 — Diseases, insects and weeds that are highly dangerous, occur in limited areas and can spread with plants and their products shall be designated as plant quarantine objects. The lists of agricultural and forestry plant quarantine objects and of plants and plant products subject to quarantine shall be formulated by the agriculture competent department and the forestry competent department of the State Council. The agriculture competent departments and forestry competent departments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government may, according to the needs of their respective regions, formulate supplementary lists for their respective provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government, and report them to the agriculture competent department and the forestry competent department of the State Council for the record.
Article 5 — Where a plant quarantine object occurs in limited areas, such areas shall be demarcated as epidemic areas, and blockade and elimination measures shall be taken to prevent the plant quarantine object from spreading out; where the occurrence has become relatively widespread, the areas where it has not occurred shall be demarcated as protection areas to prevent the plant quarantine object from spreading in.
Epidemic areas shall be demarcated according to the spread of the plant quarantine object, the local geographical environment, traffic conditions and the needs for blockade and elimination measures, and their scope shall be strictly controlled.
In areas where an epidemic occurs, the plant quarantine institutions may send personnel to participate in the local road joint inspection stations or timber inspection stations; where an extraordinarily serious epidemic occurs, plant quarantine inspection stations may be established to carry out plant quarantine work upon approval by the people’s government of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government.
Article 6 — The demarcation of epidemic areas and protection areas shall be proposed by the agriculture competent department and the forestry competent department of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government, reported to the people’s government of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government for approval, and reported to the agriculture competent department and the forestry competent department of the State Council for the record.
Where the scope of an epidemic area or protection area involves two or more provinces, autonomous regions or municipalities directly under the Central Government, it shall be jointly proposed by the agriculture competent departments and forestry competent departments of the relevant provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government, and demarcated after approval by the agriculture competent department and the forestry competent department of the State Council.
The procedures for changing or revoking epidemic areas and protection areas shall be the same as those for their demarcation.
Article 7 — Plants and plant products that fall under any of the following circumstances must undergo quarantine when transferred or transported:
(1) those included in the list of plants and plant products subject to quarantine must undergo quarantine before being transported out of the county-level administrative region where the epidemic occurs; and
(2) all seeds, seedlings and other propagation materials must undergo quarantine before being transferred or transported, regardless of whether they are included in the list of plants and plant products subject to quarantine and regardless of their destination.
Article 8 — Where plants and plant products that must undergo quarantine in accordance with Article 7 of these Regulations are found upon quarantine to be free of plant quarantine objects, a plant quarantine certificate shall be issued. Where a plant quarantine object is found but can be thoroughly disinfected, the consignor shall carry out disinfection at a designated place in accordance with the requirements of the plant quarantine institution, and a plant quarantine certificate shall be issued after inspection passes; where disinfection cannot be carried out, the transfer or transport shall be stopped.
The format of plant quarantine certificates shall be formulated by the agriculture competent department and the forestry competent department of the State Council.
Packaging materials, means of transport, sites, warehouses and the like that may be contaminated by plant quarantine objects shall also be quarantined. Where they have been contaminated, the consignor shall handle them in accordance with the requirements of the plant quarantine institution.
The costs of vehicle and vessel stops, cargo handling, unpacking, sampling, storage, disinfection and the like required for carrying out quarantine shall be borne by the consignor.
Article 9 — For plants and plant products that must undergo quarantine in accordance with Article 7 of these Regulations, the transport departments and postal departments shall, without exception, carry or accept them for posting on the strength of plant quarantine certificates. The plant quarantine certificate shall accompany the goods in transport. The specific measures shall be formulated by the agriculture competent department and the forestry competent department of the State Council in conjunction with the railway, transport, civil aviation and postal departments.
Article 10 — Where plants and plant products that must undergo quarantine in accordance with Article 7 of these Regulations are transferred or transported between provinces, autonomous regions or municipalities directly under the Central Government, the receiving unit must obtain the prior consent of the plant quarantine institution of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government at its place of business, and put forward quarantine requirements to the dispatching unit; the dispatching unit must, in accordance with such quarantine requirements, apply for quarantine to the plant quarantine institution of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government at its place of business. For the plants and plant products received, the plant quarantine institution of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government at the receiving unit’s place of business shall examine the quarantine certificate and may conduct re-inspection where necessary.
The quarantine measures for the transfer or transport of plants and plant products within a province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government shall be prescribed by the people’s government of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government.
Article 11 — Units breeding seeds, seedlings and other propagation materials shall establish, in a planned manner, seed and seedling breeding bases and mother-tree forest bases free of plant quarantine objects. Seeds, seedlings and other propagation materials used for testing and promotion shall not carry plant quarantine objects. Plant quarantine institutions shall carry out origin quarantine.
Article 12 — To introduce seeds or seedlings from abroad, the introducing unit shall apply to the plant quarantine institution of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government at its place of business and complete quarantine examination and approval procedures. However, units in Beijing affiliated to the relevant departments of the State Council introducing seeds or seedlings from abroad shall apply to the plant quarantine institutions affiliated to the agriculture competent department and the forestry competent department of the State Council and complete quarantine examination and approval procedures. The specific measures shall be formulated by the agriculture competent department and the forestry competent department of the State Council.
Seeds, seedlings and other propagation materials introduced from abroad that may harbor dangerous diseases or insects must be isolated and trial-planted; the plant quarantine institutions shall conduct investigation, observation and quarantine, and they may be dispersed for planting only after certification that they are indeed free of dangerous diseases and insects.
Article 13 — Agricultural and forestry colleges and experimental research units shall not conduct research on plant quarantine objects in non-epidemic areas of the quarantine objects. Where it is truly necessary to conduct such research in non-epidemic areas for teaching or scientific research, the provisions of the agriculture competent department and the forestry competent department of the State Council shall be complied with.
Article 14 — With respect to newly discovered quarantine objects and other dangerous diseases, insects and weeds, the plant quarantine institutions must promptly ascertain the situation, immediately report to the agriculture competent department and the forestry competent department of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government, take measures to thoroughly eliminate them, and report to the agriculture competent department and the forestry competent department of the State Council.
Article 15 — Epidemics shall be announced by the agriculture competent department and the forestry competent department of the State Council.
Article 16 — The emergency prevention and control costs and subsidy costs required for epidemic investigation and elimination measures in accordance with Article 5, paragraph 1 and Article 14 of these Regulations shall be arranged by provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government within their annual plant protection costs, forest protection costs or state farm production costs. For extraordinarily serious epidemics, the State shall grant subsidies as appropriate.
Article 17 — Units and individuals that have made outstanding achievements in plant quarantine work shall be rewarded by the people’s governments.
Article 18 — Where any of the following acts is committed, the plant quarantine institution shall order correction and may impose a fine; where losses are caused, compensation shall be borne; where a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued by the judicial authorities in accordance with the law:
(1) failing to obtain a plant quarantine certificate in accordance with these Regulations, or engaging in fraud in the process of applying for quarantine;
(2) forging, altering, trading or transferring plant quarantine documents, seals, markings or seals;
(3) failing to transfer, transport, isolate and trial-plant, or produce plants and plant products subject to quarantine in accordance with these Regulations;
(4) in violation of these Regulations, opening the packaging of plants or plant products without authorization, substituting plants or plant products, or changing the prescribed use of plants or plant products without authorization; or
(5) in violation of these Regulations, causing the spread of an epidemic.
Where any of the circumstances listed in items (1), (2), (3) and (4) of the preceding paragraph exists and no crime is constituted, the plant quarantine institution may confiscate the illegal gains.
For plants and plant products transferred or transported in violation of these Regulations, the plant quarantine institution shall have the right to seal, confiscate, destroy them or order a change of use. The costs required for destruction shall be borne by the responsible person.
Article 19 — Where plant quarantine personnel, in plant quarantine work, or relevant staff members of the transport departments and postal departments, in the transport and posting of plants and plant products, practice favoritism or commit dereliction of duty, their units or the competent authorities at a higher level shall impose sanctions in accordance with the law; where a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued by the judicial authorities in accordance with the law.
Article 20 — Where a party is dissatisfied with an administrative penalty decision, it may apply for administrative reconsideration or bring an administrative lawsuit in accordance with the law. Where a party neither applies for administrative reconsideration nor brings a lawsuit within the time limit, nor performs the administrative penalty decision, the authority that made the administrative penalty decision shall apply to the people’s court for compulsory enforcement.
Article 21 — Plant quarantine institutions may collect quarantine fees for carrying out quarantine tasks, and the specific measures shall be formulated by the agriculture competent department and the forestry competent department of the State Council.
Article 22 — The quarantine of plants imported or exported shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Quarantine of Entry and Exit Animals and Plants.
Article 23 — The implementation rules of these Regulations shall be formulated by the agriculture competent department and the forestry competent department of the State Council. Provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government may formulate implementation measures in accordance with these Regulations and their implementation rules and in light of their local circumstances.
Article 24 — These Regulations shall come into force as of the date of promulgation. The Trial Measures for Domestic Plant Quarantine promulgated by the Ministry of Agriculture on December 4, 1957 with the approval of the State Council shall be repealed simultaneously.
Disclaimer: This document is an unofficial English translation of the original Chinese text, provided for reference purposes only. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the Chinese-language version is the sole authoritative text. This translation does not constitute legal advice, and no liability is accepted for any reliance placed upon it. For matters with legal implications, please consult the official Chinese source and seek qualified professional advice.
Free PDF download of the complete article.
