1. Competent authority
Competent authority | Responsibility |
State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) | Market supervision |
National Health Commission (NHC) |
|
General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) |
|
2. Market access approval
2.1 Import permit at state level
As long as alcoholic drink products meet corresponding national standards in China, they are allowed to be exported to China.
2.2 Overseas manufacturer registration
According to Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on the Registration and Administration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food, overseas manufacturer registration is mandatory for all imported food products. Alcoholic drink manufacturers shall visit the registration system and apply for the registration by themselves or by their agents.
Recommended resources:
Webinar: Prepare for China’s Overseas Food Manufacturers Registration Under New GACC Requirements
Webinar: A Tutorial Guide & FAQ for GACC Overseas Food Manufacturer Registration
2.3 Inspection and quarantine
Alcoholic drink products, such as wine, beer and liquor, are subject to imported food sanitation inspection instead of quarantine. Inspection items include the check of Chinese label, foreign matter, the existence of prohibited food additives and other items related to sanitation.
2.4 Exporter and importer filing
Regardless of food categories, the overseas exporters (or their agents) and importers in China shall log into this system and get themselves filed with GACC.
To have a better understanding of China’s food import procedure and supervision mechanism, please check ChemLinked online course: Regulatory Compliance and Import Procedure of Prepackaged Food in China
3. Product compliance
3.1 Product requirements
The national food safety standards specify the definition and technical requirements (ingredients, sensory requirements, physicochemical indicators, microorganism level, etc.) of alcoholic drink products. Please refer to the corresponding GB (mandatory) or GB/T (recommended) standards for more details:
Category | Referenced GB standard |
Wine | |
Beer (including zero-alcoholic beer) | |
Distilled liquor and blended alcoholic drinks | GB 2757-2012 National Food Safety Standard — Distilled Liquor and Formulated Liquor |
3.2 Label
The labeling of alcoholic drink products shall follow the general rules such as GB 7718-2011 General Standard for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods and GB 28050-2011 General Rules for Nutrition Labeling of Prepackaged Foods. Besides, the registration number of overseas manufacturers should be indicated on imported alcoholic drink products as per Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on the Registration and Administration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food.
It is noteworthy that alcoholic drink products are subject to some additional labeling requirements specified in their GB or GB/T standards. A summary of special requirements can be found below.
Category | Additional requirements |
Wine | If enterprises choose to manufacturer products according to the mandatory standard GB 2758-2012 (since they can also choose to follow the corresponding recommended standard):
|
Beer | |
Distilled liquor and blended alcoholic drink |
|
ChemLinked has well served hundreds of global food enterprises in terms of market access. Please feel free to contact us if you need any consultation service.
