China’s General Administration of Customs (海关总署, GACC) has revised the filing rules for overseas food exporters and agents and for domestic food importers, with effect from 23 October 2026. Customs must complete a filing within three working days of accepting a complete application, and filings remain valid indefinitely.
Complete applications must be filed within three working days
Under Announcement No. 150 of 2026, customs must accept a filing whose forms are complete and whose supporting documents are in order, and complete it within three working days. If materials fall short, customs must tell the applicant everything that needs fixing in one notice, also within three working days.
Overseas exporters and agents that complete filing receive a filing code. Filing information is published on the China Customs Enterprise Import and Export Credit Information Disclosure Platform (中国海关企业进出口信用信息公示平台), and filings have no expiry date.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Issuing body | General Administration of Customs (GACC) |
| Document number | Announcement No. 150 of 2026 (公告〔2026〕150号) |
| Issue date | 23 October 2026 |
| Effective date | On publication |
| Scope | Overseas exporters or agents exporting food to China, and domestic food importers |
| Processing time | Filing within 3 working days of acceptance; one-off notice of shortcomings within 3 working days |
| Validity | Long term |
| Changes | Within 60 days of the change |
| Replaces | Annex 1 to former AQSIQ Announcement No. 55 of 2012 |
Overseas exporters file with GACC, importers with local customs
Overseas exporters or agents shipping food to China apply to GACC with an information form (Annex 1) and are responsible for the accuracy of what they submit. Domestic importers file with the customs office where they are registered, using a separate form (Annex 2).
Domestic importers must first hold the relevant business qualifications and be registered with customs as a consignee or consignor of import and export goods. They can complete the importer filing at the same time as that registration.
Applications, changes and cancellations can be made through the International Trade Single Window (国际贸易“单一窗口”) or customs online government services. Domestic importers may also submit a paper form to their local customs office.
Import declarations must carry the exporter’s filing code
When food is declared for import, the declaration must give the names of the exporter and importer, the domestic importer’s unified social credit code and the overseas exporter’s or agent’s filing code. Customs will check this information.
Customs may inspect filed companies on site, review records or ask for documents, and companies must cooperate. Where filing information does not match reality, customs will require a correction within a set period.
Changes must be filed within 60 days
Exporters and importers must update their filing within 60 days of any change. A domestic importer that moves must apply to the customs office covering its new address, and update its customs consignee registration at the same time where needed.
Customs will cancel a filing if a company is dissolved, declared bankrupt or otherwise terminated, has its registration cancelled or business licence revoked, applies for cancellation itself, or has its customs consignee registration cancelled.
GACC said the revision implements the Fourth Plenary Session’s call to strengthen whole-chain food and drug safety supervision, and aims to improve the traceability of imported food and public services for businesses.
Coming up · We may follow up with the filing forms for overseas food exporters and China’s monthly lists of food refused entry.
