On Nov. 22, 2021, General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) published the list of non-compliant food products in October. A total of 275 batches of imported food from 41 countries/regions were rejected.
The largest proportion of non-compliant imported food in October came from Japan (24.4%, mostly snacks), followed by France (7.6%, mostly confectionaries) and Taiwan, China (7.0%, mostly snacks). The major reasons for import rejection were:
Lack of inspection & quarantine permit (26%)
Unqualified food label (14%)
Exceeding the limit of food additives/nutritional fortification substances (10%)
Lack of required documents or evidential materials (9%)
Microorganism contamination (8%)
Noteworthy Products
1. Dairy
One batch of milk powder from New Zealand and one batch of cream from Australia were rejected by China Customs in October. The former one was rejected due to the discrepancy between cargo and certificate, and the latter was for lacking of inspection & quarantine permit. To avoid such issues, please refer to China Dairy Regulations to check all the required documents and evidential materials before exporting dairy products to China.
2. Health supplements
A total of 20 batches of imported health supplements failed customs clearance in October. Most of them failed for lacking of required documents or evidential materials. Since China has a strict management on health food, imported health supplements shall finish the registration or filing before the importation. Importers and exporters should also be aware of the latest regulatory change on food importation to China.
Recommended webinar: Prepare for China's Overseas Food Manufacturers Registration Under New GACC Requirements
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