Administrative Provisions of the People's Republic of China on Registration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food G/SPS/N/CHN/1324/Add.1

Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Customs Administration of Registration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food (Final Version)

On 11 October 2025, the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) issued the revised "Administrative Provisions on the Customs Registration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food in the People's Republic of China" (Decree No. 280), which shall take effect on 1 June 2026.

The Provisions enhance food safety oversight while comprehensively considering trade facilitation principles. In accordance with international governance standards, GACC actively fosters mutual recognition of food safety systems, food connectivity and promotes trade facilitation among countries (regions). Participating parties may mutually agree to implement streamlined measures for batch registration and Manufacturers list management. Based on risk management principles, the Provisions establish differentiated registration methods, evaluation procedures, and management requirements according to the risk levels of exporting countries (regions), manufacturers, and products. The registration system for food products has been transformed from official recommendation to a catalog-based management framework with dynamic adjustments. Maintaining rigorous and pragmatic principles, the Provisions optimize procedures for re-examination, suspension, modification, and renewal, incorporating an automatic renewal mechanism to further streamline manufactures registration management.

The revision process demonstrated transparency and alignment with international norms and practices. In compliance with relevant WTO TBT/SPS rules, GACC notified the draft Provisions to the WTO from January to March 2025, solicited and incorporated feedback from various stakeholders. Chinese representatives presented the revisions at the 95th WTO/TBT Committee Meeting. The enactment and implementation timeline strictly adhere to the TBT/SPS Agreement, providing a transition period exceeding six months.

As of the current date, over 93,000 food manufactures from 178 countries and regions have successfully completed registration in China. Imported food trade from registered manufactures will remain unaffected. GACC will release supplementary implementation notices and guidelines, optimize and upgrade the registration management system for overseas food manufacturers, and conduct policy promotion and training through bilateral and multilateral channels to ensure effective implementation of the Provisions. Should members encounter technical challenges during implementation, they may contact GACC through the WTO SPS National Notification and Enquiry Center. GACC remains committed to providing targeted policy interpretation, technical support, and guidance on specific registration matters.

https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2025/SPS/CHN/25_06956_00_e.pdf

This addendum concerns a:

[ ]           Modification of final date for comments

[X]          Notification of adoption, publication or entry into force of regulation

[ ]           Modification of content and/or scope of previously notified draft regulation

[ ]           Withdrawal of proposed regulation

[ ]           Change in proposed date of adoption, publication or date of entry into force

[ ]           Other:

Comment period: (If the addendum extends the scope of the previously notified measure in terms of products and/or potentially affected Members, a new deadline for receipt of comments should be provided, normally of at least 60 calendar days. Under other circumstances, such as extension of originally announced final date for comments, the comment period provided in the addendum may vary.)

[ ]           Sixty days from the date of circulation of the addendum to the notification and/or (dd/mm/yy): Not applicable

Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [ ] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:

WTO/SPS National Notification and Enquiry Center of the People's Republic of China

Tel:  +(86 10) 5795 4645

       +(86 10) 5795 4642

E-mail: sps@customs.gov.cn

Text(s) available from: [] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:

WTO/SPS National Notification and Enquiry Center of the People's Republic of China

Tel:  +(86 10) 5795 4645

       +(86 10) 5795 4642

E-mail: sps@customs.gov.cn