Changes to the registration of importers and exporters of imported food in China

The General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) has introduced a new system for registering importers and exporters of imported food.

Under Announcement No. 105 of 2024, from November 2024 foreign exporters can no longer complete the registration process directly; this responsibility now falls to the importer or local agent in China. 

This change aims to streamline the management of import and export processes and unifies the system through an online platform.

The Chinese companies responsible for registration enter the foreign companies' details on the GACC platform and, once approved, an 18-digit code is generated for the exporter. 

This code can be reused with different importers, even if the commercial relationship changes. 

Companies that already held old codes have been migrated automatically to the new system, and their new codes can be looked up on a dedicated platform with English translation support.

This new procedure does not affect the CIFER platform, which continues to register food production establishments unchanged. 

The new regulatory framework represents a significant change in commercial operations and emphasises working with local agents to secure access to the Chinese market.

If you would like to know about other commercial activities PRODECA runs in China, you can write to Rosalba Arrufat at rarrufat@gencat.cat.