The Administrative Provisions of the Customs of the People's Republic of China on Registration of Overseas Manufacturers for Export of Food to China(Promulgated under Decree No. 280 of the General Administration of Customs(GACC), hereinafter referred to as the Registration Provisions) was announced on October 14, 2025,and shall enter into force on June 1, 2026. The relevant implementation details are hereby announced as follows:

1. List of Supporting Catalogues on the Registration Provision.

Based on an analysis of factors such as ingredient origins, production and processing techniques, historical food safety data, consumer demographics, and consumption methods, in line with international practices, GACC will determine the food catalogue compulsory for registration with GACC and recommended by the Competent Authority of the countries or regions where the overseas manufacturers are located, the list of foods not subject to automatic registration renewal, and the scope of overseas storage facilities for imported food that require registration as per the Registration Provisions. These catalogues, lists, and scopes will be managed dynamically.

1.1 The food catalogue shall be registered with GACC and recommended by the Competent Authority of the countries or regions where the overseas manufacturers are located.

According to Article 6 of the Registration Provisions, the following food catalogue shall be registered with GACC and recommended by the Competent Authority of the countries or regions where the overseas manufacturers are located: meat and meat products, casings, bird's nests and bird's nest products, bee products, eggs and egg products, edible fats and oils, stuffed wheaten food, edible grains, grain flour and malt, dehydrated vegetables, seasoning powder, nuts and seeds, dried fruits, special dietary foods, health foods/dietary supplements, dairy products, aquatic products.

1.2 The list of foods not subject to automatic registration renewal.

According to Article 21 of the Registration Provisions, the list of foods not subject to automatic registration renewal is set out below: meat and meat products, bird's nests and bird's nest products.

1.3 The scope of overseas storage facilities for imported food that require registration as per the Registration Provisions.

According to the 1^st paragraph of Article 30 of the Registration Provisions, the scope of overseas storage facilities for imported food that requires registration as per the Registration Provisions is as listed below: cold storage facilities used for the storage of food of terrestrial animal origin and aquatic products.

2. Declaration Requirements for the imported food related to Registration.

2.1 Requirements for Information Filling.

For food imported as goods and entered the Chinese market for human consumption or as raw materials for food processing, the overseas manufacturer registration number listed by GACC, corresponding to the ''Country (Region) of Origin'', must be accurately entered in the ''Registration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food'' certificate column (License Category Code '519') under the ''Product Qualification'' section of Customs declaration form. Furthermore, ''Human Consumption'' should be declared in the ''Purpose'' column under the ''Commodity Information'' section of the declaration.

If the declaration is not completed in line with the requirements, Customs will not accept it. The overseas manufacturers who provide false information and fraudulently obtain Customs documents will be investigated and handled by Customs in accordance with the law.

2.2 Declaration Requirements for the imported food

For overseas manufacturers of imported food that require official recommendation for registration, products manufactured within the validity period of registration can be declared for import, which include food produced by manufacturers that have not renewed their registration validity period after its expiration but are still within the shelf life. For overseas manufacturers of imported food that apply for registration independently, during import declarations, the registration shall be within its validity period. For manufacturers whose registration has been suspended, cancelled, or revoked, the declaration of import of food that was dispatched prior to the date of suspension, cancellation, or revocation will not be affected.

Any special requirements of GACC shall be followed.

3. Handle of registration & information inquiry channels.

3.1China Import Food Enterprises Registration (CIFER)

In order to collaborate with the implementation of the Registration Provisions, facilitate the applications for registration and enhance the efficiency of handling business, the overseas manufacturers of imported food can inquire and handle various types of business, including applications, changes, extensions, suspensions, and resumptions, through  China Import Food Enterprises Registration (CIFER), the system access address is: https://cifer.singlewindow.cn. Users are advised to remain vigilant and verify website authenticity to avoid any losses caused by fraudulent sites.

3.2 Information inquiry channels.

During the application and registration process, the overseas manufacturers of imported food are able to check the application progress, along with the review opinions and feedback information provided by GACC within the system.

The inquires such as registration No. and validity of the overseas manufacturers of imported food which have obtained the registration can be made via GACC official website or by referring to the channel of the "registration list of the overseas manufacturers of imported food" through China Import Food Enterprises Registration (CIFER) system.

Materials such as the "Guide for Registration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food," the "User Manual for the Registration System," and the "Registration Inquiry Hotline" can be accessed via the "Service Guide" function within the registration system, or by referring to the guides published on GACC official website.

The product categories involved in the registration of overseas manufacturers, along with their corresponding HS Codes and Supervision Inspection Codes, can be queried through the "Product Category Inquiry" function of the registration system.

4. Other Explanations.

4.1 The list of imported primary edible agricultural products that require registration of overseas manufacturers, the requirements for import declaration and the methods for inquiry, etc. shall be implemented in accordance with the Announcement No. 219 of 2025 of GACC.

4.2GACC does not charge any fees for the registration and filing of overseas manufacturers for imported food and primary edible agricultural products.

This is hereby announced.