Chinese customs establishes new rules for food imports.

Decree No. 280 of the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), which establishes new rules for the registration of foreign companies that export food to the Chinese market, came into effect this Monday (1st). The regulation replaces Decree No. 248, in force since 2021, and brings changes to the registration, renewal and sanitary inspection processes.

Among the main changes are the adoption of a registration system based on risk analysis, the automatic renewal of most registrations for periods of five years, and the creation of a collective registration modality. The decree also expands the requirements to include foreign cold storage facilities used for the preservation of food of animal origin before shipment to China.

The measure affects sectors such as meat, dairy, eggs, fish, honey, vegetable oils, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, dehydrated vegetables, and foods for special purposes. Registrations already granted under the previous regulations remain valid and do not need to be renewed.

The inclusion of foreign cold storage facilities comes at a time of advancing cooperation between Brazil and China in the logistics area. At the end of May, the Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries (Abiec) and Chongqing Investment Consulting Co. Ltd (CQIC) signed a memorandum of understanding during Sial China to modernize the logistics of Brazilian beef exports.

The partnership foresees the implementation of large cold storage facilities, processing and distribution centers, and temperature-controlled units in Brazil, with the goal of reducing costs and expanding the sector's logistical capacity. The investment and execution of the project will be the responsibility of CQIC, a state-owned company linked to the Chinese government, which will construct and lease the facilities.

Under the new Chinese rules, companies in categories considered to be of higher sanitary risk, such as meat and meat products, will continue to depend on official recommendations from the authorities of their country of origin to obtain registration. Manufacturers of lower-risk products, however, will be able to apply for registration directly to the Chinese government through the CIFER electronic system.

This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.