China Customs Rejected 460 Batches of Imported Food in December 2024

On January 14, 2025, General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) published the list of non-compliant food products in December 2024. A total of 460 batches of imported food from 48 countries/regions were rejected.

Most non-compliant imported food in October came from the U.S. (18.5%, mostly beer and health supplement products), followed by Hong Kong S.A.R. (5.9%, mostly coffee and beverage products), Indonesia and Brazil (both 4.4%). The major reasons for import rejections were as follows:

• Incompliance with food national standards (25.2%)

• Unqualified labeling (22.4%)

• Discrepancy between cargo and certificate (22.0%)

• Food spoilage (11.5%)

• Lack of required documents and/or materials (7.2%)

Noteworthy Points 

1. Dairy products 

One batch of camel milk powder from Kazakhstan was rejected for unqualified bacterial counts. Before the implementation of updated GB 19644 Milk Powder and Modified Milk Powder, which will take effect on February 8, 2025 and apply to camel milk powder, such products should comply with RHB 903-2017 Camel Milk Powder.

2. Overseas food manufacturer registration 

16 batches of imported food were rejected due to the issue of overseas food manufacturer registration. Since the implementation of GACC Decree 248 on January 1, 2022, manufacturers of all imported foods must register with GACC. In addition, attention should be paid to the latest revised draft of GACC Decree 248, which will bring many significant changes to registration requirements once approved.

Non-compliant products may be rejected by customs, leading to risks such as product destruction and fines, which can cause significant losses to businesses and affect brand reputation. To avoid these risks, we offer the following compliance services for your compliant imports:

- Competent Authority Responsibility

- Formula & Specification Check

- Label Design/Review/Translation

- Overseas Manufacturer Registration

- One-to-One Regulatory Consultation

- Product Compliance Assessment

- Advertisement Compliance

We are committed to providing you with professional and efficient compliance services to ensure your products enter the market smoothly. For more details on our services, please visit our service page.