Announcement of the General Administration of Customs [2024] No. 39 (Announcement on the Inspection, Quarantine and Sanitary Requirements for Imported Wild Aquatic Products from Uruguay)

In accordance with the laws and regulations of the People's Republic of China and the regulations of the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Agriculture and Fisheries of the Republic of Eastern Coast of Uruguay on the inspection, quarantine and health requirements of Uruguayan wild aquatic products exported to China, from now on, the import of wild aquatic products from Uruguay that meets the following relevant requirements is allowed:

1. Basis for inspection and quarantine

(1) "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Quarantine of Animals and Plants Entering and Leaving the Country", "Regulations on the Implementation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Quarantine of Animals and Plants Entering and Leaving the Country", "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Inspection of Import and Export Commodities", "Regulations on the Implementation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Inspection of Import and Export Commodities", "Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China", "Regulations on the Implementation of the Food Safety

(2) "Measures of the People's Republic of China for the Administration of Import and Export Food Safety" and "Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Registration and Administration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food";

(3) Protocol between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Agriculture and Fisheries of the Republic of East Coast of Uruguay on Inspection, Quarantine and Sanitary Requirements for Wild Aquatic Products Exported from Uruguay to China (hereinafter referred to as the "Protocol").

Second, the scope of imported products

Wild aquatic products refer to wild aquatic animal products and their products, algae and other marine plant products and their products for human consumption, excluding species, live aquatic animals and aquatic animal and plant breeding materials listed in the appendix of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the List of Wild Animals under National Key Protection of China (LSKPWA).

3. Requirements of production enterprises

Producers (including processing enterprises, fishing vessels, transport vessels, processing vessels and independent cold storage) exporting wild aquatic products to China shall be approved by the Uruguayan authorities and under their effective supervision, and their sanitary conditions shall comply with the requirements of the relevant food safety and public health regulations of China and Uruguay.

According to the relevant provisions of the Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China and its implementing regulations and the Implementation Regulations of the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Quarantine of Animals and Plants Entering and Leaving the Country, production enterprises exporting wild aquatic products to China shall be recommended for registration by the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Agriculture and Fisheries of the Republic of Eastern Coast of Uruguay (hereinafter referred to as the Ukrainian side) to the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the Chinese side). It is not allowed to be exported to China without registration.

Fourth, the requirements of imported products

The Ukrainian side should ensure that the following conditions are met by the Ukrainian side for the export of wild aquatic products to China:

(i) Legal fishing in Uruguay or international waters;

(2) Neither the raw materials nor the products are in the area covered by the following issues:

1. The occurrence of aquatic animal diseases related to the products of the Protocol listed in the List of Quarantine Diseases of Imported Animals of the People's Republic of China and required by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) to be notified in Uruguay, causing wild aquatic products exported to China to be or may be infected;

2. A major food safety incident has occurred in Uruguay, which has affected or may affect the export of wild aquatic products to China;

3. Any major public health incident occurs in the production enterprise, such as employees infected with major infectious diseases, which have contaminated or may contaminate wild aquatic products exported to China and their packaging and means of transportation;

4. Wild aquatic products that Uruguay has exported or intends to export to China seriously violate the laws and regulations of China and Uruguay as well as the provisions of the Protocol;

5. The fishing area is affected by pollutants, such as radioactive pollutants, and has polluted or may contaminate wild aquatic products exported to China.

(3) Drugs or additives prohibited by both sides are not directly or indirectly added, and drugs or additives restricted or permitted by both sides are added in accordance with regulations;

(4) All wild aquatic products exported to China shall be inspected in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations of China and Uruguay, and shall be inspected and quarantined by the competent authorities, and shall be hygienic, safe and suitable for human consumption, and shall not be found any pathological indications of infectious diseases and parasitic diseases, and shall not be found to be notified of aquatic animal diseases listed in the List of Quarantine Diseases of Imported Animals of the People's Republic of China and stipulated by WOAH;

(5) The whole process of fishing, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, transit and export shall comply with the relevant health requirements and traceability requirements of both sides, and at the same time meet the relevant safety and health requirements of the cold chain.

5. Certificate requirements

Each batch or container of wild aquatic products exported by Uruguay to China shall be accompanied by at least one original health certificate, certifying that the batch of products complies with the veterinary and public health laws and regulations of China and Uruguay and the relevant provisions of the Protocol. The Ugandan side shall completely fill in the health certificate with information on the production enterprises involved in the whole process of fishing, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, transit and export, including the names and registration numbers of processing plants, fishing vessels, transport vessels, processing vessels and independent cold storage, and shall not omit the information of the production enterprises involved in any of the above links.

The certificate is printed in Chinese, Spanish and English (English and Spanish are required when filling in the certificate content). The format and content of the certificate must be approved by both parties in advance. The Ukrainian side shall promptly provide the Chinese side with a sample of the health certificate, the official issuing agency and its seal, the list of officially signed veterinary officers and their signatures, and other materials for the record. If there is a change in the content and format of the sample certificate, the Ukrainian side shall file it with the Chinese side at least one month before the entry into force.

6. Packaging and labeling requirements

Uruguayan wild aquatic products exported to China should have an outer packaging and a separate inner packaging. The inner and outer packaging should be new materials that meet international health standards and meet the requirements of preventing contamination by external factors.

Aquatic products imported directly into China's domestic consumer market shall have firm, clear and legible labels in Chinese and English or Chinese and Western languages on the inner and outer packaging, including: trade name and scientific name, specification, production date, batch number, shelf life, storage conditions, production method (wild fishing), country of origin, production area, name and registration number of the production enterprise, address of the manufacturer (specific to the state/province/city), destination (marked as the People's Republic of China). If the import does not directly enter the domestic consumer market (including for processing raw materials and re-export), its outer packaging shall be marked with the information in this article.

For wild aquatic products exported to China in pre-packaged form, the pre-packaged Chinese label shall meet the labeling requirements of pre-packaged food imported from China.

7. Other requirements

China Customs implements import inspection and quarantine of Uruguayan wild aquatic products exported to China.

For products that do not meet the requirements of the Chinese side, China Customs will return, destroy or otherwise dispose of the relevant products in accordance with the law. For manufacturers with serious problems or repeated unqualified problems, China Customs will take measures such as strengthening inspection and quarantine or prohibiting imports.

The announcement is hereby made.

Customs

April 10, 2024

Announcement download link:

Announcement of the General Administration of Customs on the Inspection, Quarantine and Sanitary Requirements for Imported Uruguayan Wild Aquatic Products .doc

Please indicate the source of the reprint: "Customs Release"

Executive Producer / Tao Yong

Review/ Hao Yiran, Bao Yinghui

Editor/ Dai Jun

Art Editor / Wei Hao