Precautions for exporting aquatic products (customs Q&A)

Ningbo Customs:Our company is a local aquatic product production enterprise in Ningbo. Recently, our company wants to expand its overseas market and inquire about the precautions for exporting domestic aquatic products

Ningbo Customs:

Our company is a local aquatic product production enterprise in Ningbo. Recently, our company wants to expand its overseas market and inquire about the precautions for exporting domestic aquatic products.

Ms. Pan, Zhejiang Reader

Ms. Pan:

Hello! According to relevant laws, regulations, and documents in China, in order to ensure the quality and safety of exported aquatic products, the customs implements inspection, quarantine, and supervision management of exported aquatic products.

The specific explanation for you is as follows:

Aquatic products refer to aquatic animal products and their products intended for human consumption, including jellyfish, mollusks, crustaceans, echinoderms, cephalopods, fish, amphibians, reptiles, aquatic mammals and other aquatic animal products and their products, as well as marine plant products and their products such as algae, excluding live aquatic animals and aquatic plant reproductive materials.

According to the Announcement of the General Administration of Customs on Carrying out the Pilot Program for Full Coverage of the "Separation of Certificates and Licenses" Reform ([2019] No. 182), the reform of "changing approval to filing" will be implemented for the "filing and approval of export food production enterprises".

Applicants who meet the filing elements shall apply for and submit materials to the local competent customs through a window for customs administrative approval, or through the "Internet plus+Customs" integrated online service platform or the "Chinese export food production enterprise filing management system".

The competent customs shall review the application submitted by the applicant and issue a "Certificate of Filing for Export Food Production Enterprises" if the materials are complete and meet the legal conditions. The filing shall be valid for a long time.

According to the Announcement of the General Administration of Customs on the Administration Measures for the Application for Overseas Registration of Export Food Production Enterprises (No. 87 of 2021), if foreign countries (regions) implement registration management for export food production enterprises exported from China to that country (region) and require the recommendation of the General Administration of Customs, the General Administration of Customs shall uniformly recommend to the competent authorities of that country (region).

If overseas countries (regions) have registration requirements, export food production enterprises and their products must first obtain registration approval from the competent authorities of that country (region) before their products can be exported. The registration information of the enterprise shall be subject to the disclosure of the importing country (region).

As of now, exporting aquatic products requires approval to register overseas in countries (regions) such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Russia, the European Union, the United Kingdom, New Zealand (tilapia), Brazil, South Korea, Costa Rica, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Panama, Saudi Arabia, etc.

Export food production enterprises that meet the conditions for applying for overseas registration shall log into the "China Export Food Production Enterprise Record Management System" through the "single window" or "Internet plus+Customs", apply to the local customs, provide application materials and be responsible for their authenticity.

The customs shall organize a review based on the application of the enterprise, and recommend those that meet the conditions to the competent authorities of the importing country (region) in combination with the enterprise's credit, supervision and management, and export food safety.

The General Administration of Customs implements record keeping management on raw material aquaculture farms for exporting aquatic products.

The customs at the place where the farm is located will review the declaration information submitted by the applicant through the "single window" or "Internet plus+customs" of international trade. If the review meets the conditions, it will be filed. The General Administration of Customs uniformly announces the registration information of aquaculture farms for exporting aquatic product raw materials.

The customs of the place of origin or the place of shipment shall accept the application for inspection and quarantine before the export declaration of aquatic product production enterprises and exporters, and shall be responsible for reviewing the inspection and quarantine documents and relevant supporting materials required for the enterprise declaration in accordance with relevant regulations. Those who pass the review shall accept the declaration, and the enterprise declaration information shall be entered into the customs territory inspection business management system.

The customs of the place of origin or the place of shipment are responsible for conducting territorial inspections of exported aquatic products. Implement on-site inspection and sampling testing of exported aquatic products in accordance with the inspection content and requirements specified in the control instructions, operation forms, and relevant normative documents of the customs territory inspection business management system.

For export aquatic products that have not been controlled and meet the inspection or sampling instructions, the local customs shall review the export declaration information of the enterprise and approve the export if they are qualified.

For orders that require inspection or sampling for inspection during deployment, the local customs shall conduct a comprehensive evaluation based on the results of the enterprise's export declaration information review, on-site inspection, and laboratory testing. If qualified, the export shall be granted; Unqualified products shall not be exported.

For those who pass the comprehensive evaluation, electronic ledger data will be formed, and the electronic ledger data number will be fed back to the enterprise. Various certificates such as "Veterinary Health Certificate" and "Health Certificate" will be issued in accordance with relevant laws and regulations as well as relevant requirements jointly agreed upon between China and the importing country (region).

When the goods arrive at the port of departure, a customs declaration application must be submitted. According to the requirements of the customs declaration management regulations for export goods, the owner or their agent shall declare through a single window. The port customs shall conduct on-site inspections of exported aquatic products in accordance with the control requirements, and those that pass the inspection shall be granted clearance and release; Those that fail the inspection, are unable to undergo technical treatment according to law, or are still unqualified after technical treatment, are not allowed to be exported.

(Wang Gang, Chief of the Supervision Department of Xiangshan Customs under Ningbo Customs)

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