- Government Agency(s) / Competent Authority
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Authorized Government Agency(s):
Standardization Administration of China (SAC) and the General Administration on Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).
Agency(s) Contact Information:
Standardization Administration of China
No. 9 Madian East Road
Haidian District
CN-Beijing 100088
Tel: +86 10 8226 2622
Fax: +86 10 8226 0660
E-mail: sac@sac.gov.cn
Web
General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine
No. 9, Madian East Road
Haidian District
Beijing100088
People's Republic of China
Web
- Organic Regulations and/or Standards
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Name(s) of Regulation and/or Standard:
National Standards for Organic Products, GB/T 19630-2005 were updated in 2011 to National Standards for Organic Products, GB/T19630-2011.
GB/T19630-2011 consists of 4 parts:
GB/T19630.1 Organic Products: Production
GB/T19630.2 Organic Products: Processing
GB/T19630.3 Organic Products: Labeling and Marketing
GB/T19630.4 Organic Products: Management System
USDA has published an unofficial translation of Implementation Rules for Organic Product Certification
Date of Implementation: 2005
Regulation and/or Standard Scope:
The Chinese standard covers the general specifications and requirements for organic production, processing, transport, storage and packaging of crops, edible fungi, wild plants, livestock and poultry, aquatic products, textiles, and apiary.
China will begin new organic national standards for organic products and new regulations for certification and use a revised eligible products list on January 1, 2020. Products marketed in China as organic must comply with this standard and accompanying regulations.
The new organic standard includes changes to production and processing inputs, such as adding microbial preparations for control and prevention of animal diseases, adding detergents and disinfectants in plant production, adding requirements for packaging materials for feed products, adjusting lists of food additives, processing aids, and feed additives eligible for organic production and/or processing. The standard also changed the requirements for the labeling of organic conversion products.
The new organic certification rules appear to have streamlined some certification practices. For example, an overseas organic production site which has been certified organic certification for at least four years can be waived from a 12-month organic conversion period before being certified to the Chinese organic standard. And if an organic product is produced or processed overseas, the product sample can be tested by a local testing agency. Site inspection requirements have also been simplified.
- Imported Products
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China does not allow equivalence agreements with other countries. US producers, even though they are USDA certified, will not be allowed to use the Chinese term for organic unless they receive Chinese certification. See the reports in Additional Information below for more detailed information about meeting China's requirements for imported products.
China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) plans to require importers of certain products to a review overseas exporters and producing enterprises. See the GAIN report.
- Certification and Accreditation
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Certification:
United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agriculture Service UNOFFICIAL translation of certification rules .pdf (2012)
There are local and foreign certifiers available.
Two major Chinese certifying organizations: China Organic Food Certification Center (COFCC) and Organic Food Development Center (OFDC).
Joint-venture companies: BCS (Changsha); ECOCERT (Beijing); Japan Organic and Natural Foods Association (JONA) and Overseas Merchandise Inspection Company
Requirements for Foreign Certification Body (CB):
- Regulation on Certification and Accreditation (Decree No. 390 of the State Council of PRC) Requirements for all CBs, plus extra requirements for foreign CBs
- Requirements on approval of CBs (RMB 3 M, 10 full-time staff...)
- Foreign CBs must be accredited in its own country
- Foreign CBs must have organic experience over three years
Accreditation Method:
Government
Accreditation:
Certification and Accreditation Administration of China (CNCA)
China does not allow foreign assessment bodies, such as USDA, to accredit certifiers.
- Additional Information
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Reference Standards:
https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/Report/DownloadReportByFileName?fileName=2019%20Official%20Exporter%20Guide_Shenyang%20ATO_China%20-%20Peoples%20Republic%20of_12-30-2019
Additional Information:
Food importers must register every four years. See GAIN Reports below for more information.
USDA's GAIN Report China Publishes New Organic Standard and Certification Rules (2019)
USDA's GAIN Report China Releases Draft General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods for Domestic Comments (2020)
USDA's report on the 2015 Food Safety Law
USDA's GAIN Report China Implements Food Safety Law Implementing Regulations (2019) Includes unofficial translation.
USDA's GAIN Report Smart Consumers and ‘New Retail’ drive China’s Food Retail Sector (2019)
USDA's GAIN Report China Retail Foods Change and Opportunity (2018)
USDA's GAIN Report China Passes E-Commerce Law (2018)
USDA's GAIN Report 2019 Official Exporter Guide to China (2020)
USDA's GAIN Report Consumer Study on China's Imported Food Products (2018)
USDA's GAIN Report Annual Retail Foods Report (2020)
USDA's GAIN Report Organic Certification Issues Update from East China
USDA's GAIN Report AQSIQ to Require Importers to Review Overseas Food Producers
USDA's GAIN Report Food Processing Ingredients (2019)
USDA's GAIN Report Retail Increasing Change and Competition but Strong Growth Presents Plenty of Opportunities for U.S. Food Exports (2017)
USDA's GAIN Report Food Service Hotel-Restaurant Institutional (2020)
USDA's GAIN Report China Retail Foods Change and Opportunity (2018)
USDA's GAIN Report Macau Food Retail Industry (2018)
USDA's GAIN Report The Notice on the Technical Review of Relevant Standards for Imported Foods Without Applicable National Food Safety Standards (2020)
USDA's GAIN Report Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Export Certificate Report (2020)
USDA's GAIN Report Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Country Report (2020)
Hong Kong does not have a law regulating organic food products. U.S. organic products can be sold in Hong Kong with the USDA organic logo. See the Global Organic Trade Guide's page for Hong Kong for more information about this Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.
In September 2016, US shipments are subject to China's requirements designed to halt the spread of Zika-bearing mosquitos.