On October 24, 2022, General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) published the list of non-compliant food products in September of 2022. A total of 202 batches of imported food from 36 countries/regions were rejected.
Most non-compliant imported food in September came from Vietnam (23.3%, mostly seafood), followed by Japan (21.8%, mostly snacks) and India (5.4%, mostly seafood). The major reasons for the import rejection were:
Lack of required documents or evidential materials (17.3%)
Discrepancy between cargo and certificate (14.9%)
Lack of inspection & quarantine permit (13.9%)
Microorganism contamination (14.9%)
Exceeding the use of food additives/nutritional fortification substances (9.9%)
Noteworthy Products
1. Dairy products
One batch of cream from Netherlands failed customs clearance in September for exceeding shelf life.
2. Baby food
Two batches of cereal-based complementary baby food from Turkey were rejected, both for unqualified labeling and excessive iron content. For labeling requirements for and safety indicators of complementary baby food, please refer to GB 10769-2010 Cereal-based Complementary Foods for Infants and Young Children and GB 10770-2010 Canned Complementary Foods for Infants and Young Children.
3. Alcohol products
A total of 16 alcohol products were rejected. Among them, a spirit from Taiwan, China failed to pass the import sensory inspection, a beer from Denmark failed for containing unpermitted ingredients, and 14 wine and sake from Japan failed for lack of required documents or evidential materials. When importing foods from Japan, please note that the certificate of origin is required for customs clearance.
More analysis on customs clearance in 2022 can be found below:
China Customs Rejected 260 Batches of Imported Foods in August 2022
China Customs Rejected 233 Batches of Imported Foods in July 2022 Including Dairy & Baby Food
China Customs Rejected 185 Batches of Imported Foods in May 2022
China Customs Rejected 339 Batches of Imported Foods in April of 2022
278 Batches of Imported Products Rejected by China Customs in January 2022, Involving Dairy and Honey