2022-13: Do you need to update your establishments details in CIFER? New requirements for fish and fish products to be exported to China

Date of issue: 1 August 2022

Date of effect: Immediate

Reference Number: MAA2022-13

Related MAAs: For background, please see MAA 2022-11 at 2022-11: China: Fish: – Do you catch, store or prepare fish or fish products that are exported to China? China Import Food Enterprise Registration System

MAA 2022-11 includes information including:

• What is new?
• How do I know if my establishment is already listed in Chinas’ CIFER system?
• Does my establishment registration in CIFER expire?
• What do I have to do to maintain my GACC listing or apply for listing?
• Where can I get help or obtain more information?
• Do I need to engage a consultant to assist me in this process?
• Warning re illegitimate registration sites and communication

Attention

This Market Access Advice (MAA) is for export registered vessels and land-based establishments who catch, manufacture, pack or store fish and fish products that are exported to China.

If you are currently supplying an exporter and are not sure if the product you prepare or store is exported to China, you are encouraged to check with your customers / suppliers as this will affect their ability to export your product.

This MAA is not applicable to the catching, preparation or storage of fish that are exported live or to dry (unrefrigerated) storage establishments.

Next steps

This MAA will provide you with information on how to:

1. Obtain a temporary password to access CIFER from the department
2. Action the following in the CIFER system when you need to:
   1. Update your existing listing in CIFER
   2. Extend your registration with GACC beyond 31 December 2022 if your establishment is already listed in CIFER and your updated listing has been accepted by GACC
   3. Make a major change to your establishment’s existing listing in CIFER – for example when the company name or address is no longer correct.

Preparation – what you need to do first:

1. Have a company seal or stamp available.
   You will need to sign AND stamp documents that must be uploaded into the CIFER system.
2. Identify your establishments "legal representative".
   A person needs to be nominated in CIFER as your company’s legal representative. This will be the person who will sign and stamp the documents you will upload to the system.
   
   This person must be a person with legal authority for the establishment (i.e., the Director, CEO, owner) or other person in a permanent position who is nominated with the Department as being in management and control at the establishment.
3. Identify your establishments contact for CIFER
   A person at your establishment will also need to be nominated as a contact and you will need to provide an e-mail address for them. This e-mail will be used to verify changes you make to CIFER, so you will need access to the e-mail account you choose when you are making changes in the CIFER system.
   
   This person should also be listed in management and control at the establishment so that the department can verify their position if contacting the department for a CIFER password reset.
4. Have a copy of your establishments Certificate of Registration available.
   You will need to upload a copy into the CIFER system.
5. Contact your importer in China (as applicable) and confirm HS codes.
   The CIFER system identifies each type of fish product that you can export using a 13-digit HS code. It will be helpful to you if your importer can provide you with a list of the HS codes that are matched to the products that you export.

Next steps – obtaining your password:

1. Obtain a temporary password to access CIFER from the department by e-mailing exportlisting@aff.gov.au.
2. Follow the instructions in the return e-mail to access your establishment information in CIFER

Next steps – Maintaining your registration:

1. Once you have access to CIFER, you will need to update your existing listing information. This can be done using the Application for Modification within CIFER. The exportlisting@aff.gov.au mailbox can provide information on how this can be completed.
2. When your listing information is updated, you can then apply to extend your registration beyond the current expiry date of 31 December 2022.
3. If you need to make a major change to your establishments existing listing in CIFER – for example when the company name or address is no longer correct, please contact the exportlisting@aff.gov.au team to discuss what action needs to be taken.

Where can I get help or obtain more information?

The department is finalising an administrative program to enable us to assist you in engaging with the CIFER system and to recommend establishments for registration.

Once the new processes have been finalised and are ready for implementation, the department will notify seafood stakeholders via Market Access Advice Notices.

Please ensure that you regularly access the departments website at: Market Access Advice Notices 2022. You can subscribe to receive Market Access Advice Notices via our email notification system. You may change or cancel your subscription at any time

Further information

Contact exportlisting@agirculture.gov.au if you have any queries.

This MAA has been prepared using information available at the time of publication. The information in this MAA is current at the date of publication but may change in the future.
Please ensure that you regularly access the departments website at: Market Access Advice Notices 2022. You can subscribe to receive Market Access Advice Notices via our email notification system. You may change or cancel your subscription at any time