In order to strengthen the supervision of imported food safety and to regulate the management of overseas manufacturers of imported food, the General Administration of Customs stipulates that from January 1, 2022, all overseas production, processing and storage enterprises that export food to China (i.e. overseas manufacturers of imported food) must obtain registration from the General Administration of Customs before they can import, one factory, one number.
Foreign manufacturers of imported food apply for registration, change, renewal and cancellation, and the application methods include recommendation by the competent authorities of the country (region) where they are located and application by the enterprise. Among them, overseas manufacturers of 18 types of food are recommended to the General Administration of Customs for registration by the competent authorities of the country (region) where they are located, and their registration system accounts are allocated, and applications are submitted through the registration system according to the process. The registration system accounts of overseas competent authorities are allocated by the General Administration of Customs.
The 18 categories of food include meat and meat products, sausage casings, aquatic products, dairy products, bird’s nest and bird’s nest products, bee products, eggs and egg products, edible fats and oils, stuffed pasta, edible grains, grain milling industry products and malt, preserved and dehydrated vegetables and dried beans, seasonings, nuts and seeds, dried fruits, unroasted coffee beans and cocoa beans, special dietary foods, and health foods.
Except for the 18 categories of imported food overseas manufacturers listed above, other food overseas manufacturers should apply for their registration system accounts by themselves or through agents and submit applications to the General Administration of Customs in accordance with the registration system procedures.
1. Registration Procedures
(1) Log in to the Registration Management System for Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food (hereinafter referred to as the “Registration System”), which can be accessed at: https://cifer.singlewindow.cn/, or can be accessed through the homepage of the “Single Window” (https://www.singlewindow.cn/) portal – Registration Management System for Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food.
(2) Click “Register New Account”. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory. After completing the form, click “Register Now” at the bottom. For “Registration Number in Country (Region)”, you should fill in the registration number granted to the enterprise by the competent authority of the country (region) where the enterprise is located, or fill in the tax number or business license registration number of the enterprise in the country where the enterprise is located.
(3) After registering an account, log in to the system, select “Enterprise Registration” on the left, select the corresponding category, and fill in the information as required. The information must be true and accurate.
(4) Under each product registration item, there are 4 pages to fill in and upload information, namely “Basic Enterprise Information”, “Production Related Information”, “Enterprise Statement” and “Attachment Information”. After completing the information, submit the application. The production enterprise should fill in the information according to the actual situation of the enterprise and submit the application.
(5) The product categories and corresponding commodity numbers (HS codes) and inspection and quarantine names (inspection and quarantine codes) involved in the registration of overseas imported food manufacturers can be searched in the registration system through the home menu-product category search. Enter the product HS code/commodity name/inspection and quarantine code to search. When registering, select the product that matches the product of the enterprise.
(6) Customs review and approve and issue the registration number in China. After the registration application materials are submitted, if they are true, complete and fully submitted, the customs will accept them and issue the registration number of the overseas manufacturer in China through the system.
2. Information query of overseas manufacturers
After the overseas manufacturer is successfully registered, the General Administration of Customs will uniformly announce the list of registered overseas imported food manufacturers. Registered overseas imported food manufacturers can query their registration numbers, validity periods and other information in China on the official website of the General Administration of Customs or the registration system.
3. Registration validity period
The registration validity period of overseas imported food manufacturers is 5 years.
The registration qualification of registered overseas imported food manufacturers will continue to be valid. Registered enterprises should apply for renewal registration in accordance with the relevant requirements of Article 20 of the “Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on the Registration and Administration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food” 3 to 6 months before the expiration of the registration validity period. Enterprises that fail to apply for renewal registration in accordance with the regulations will be deregistered by the General Administration of Customs.
4. Registration Fees
Registration of overseas manufacturers of imported food is free of charge, and the General Administration of Customs does not charge any fees.