Date of issue: 3 December 2021
Date of effect: 1 January 2022 to Until Further Notice
Reference Number: MAA2021- 22
Attention
- Industries—Industry bodies – Dairy Australia – Infant Nutrition Council, Seafood Export Consultative Committee, Australian Honey Bee Industry Council, Australian Food and Grocery Council
- Export dairy and seafood establishments
- Exporters
- Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment — Central and Regional offices
Purpose
Further to the latest Market Access Advice on this matter (MAA2021-46 (Dairy), MAA2021-26 (Seafood), MAA2021-20 (NPG)), the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment is providing updated information on the registration of food processing and storage facilities handling product for export to China, and product labelling requirements for food products exported to China.
Summary of key points
- The department has reopened applications for facilities with existing trade in Article 7 products. This only applies to those facilities that did not submit their application by 5:00pm AEDST 29 October 2021 and can demonstrate a history of trade.
- The English version of the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China’s (GACC) Single Window System (Single Window) for self-registration for Article 9 products is now available.
- Updated guidance on how to access the Single Window System is provided.
Information about ‘China’s new requirements for imported food’ is published at China’s new requirements for imported food products. This includes frequently asked questions and a recording of the department led webinar held on 22 October 2021 and 25 November 2021.
1 Food processing and storage facilities handling only meat, dairy, and seafood products for export to China
No additional updates for food processing and storage facilities covered under this section. Refer to previous Market Access Advice on this matter for the latest information.
2 Food processing and storage facilities handling products for export to China that require department recommendation for registration with China (Article 7 foods)
2.1 Applications for facilities with a history of trade due by 15 December 2021
The department submitted recommendations for registration for food processing and storage facilities handling Article 7 food products with a history of trade to China to GACC on 29 October 2021.
Food processing and storage facilities handling Article 7 products that have exported to China since 1 January 2017 that did not submit an application by 29 October 2021 should apply to the department as soon as possible.
Applications will be accepted up until COB 15 December 2021. The department will submit these new recommendations for registration with GACC on 20 December 2021. Facilities that have not submitted an application by this deadline may encounter delays with registration and disruption to trade when China’s requirements come into effect on 1 January 2022.
Please note: GACC required Australia to submit its recommended facilities with a history of trade for registration by 31 October 2021 and has not advised if submissions after this date will be accepted. Facilities included in the December 2021 submission may therefore not be accepted, resulting in delays with registration and disruption to trade when China’s requirements come into effect on 1 January 2022.
You should not apply if:
- you applied using the department’s online service in October or through the recent application process for runners
- you applied using the department’s online service in October or through the recent application process for runners and need to amend your application – GACC has not advised of the process to amend applications so the department cannot amend applications at this time
- products from your facility are new to being exported to China and you do not have a history of trade since 1 January 2017 - refer to Section 4 for more information
- you are a brand owner and use a contract manufacturer to process and store your products – confirm with your contract manufacturers if they need to apply
- you are an exporter and do not process or store any food – confirm with your suppliers if they need to apply
- you are a freight forwarder providing transitory storage only
- your facility only manufactures products that are on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG)
- You are handling only Article 9 products – refer to Section 3 for information on the self-registration process.
To apply, complete the application form (Attachment 1) and submit with documentary evidence of your food safety management system to exportlisting@aff.gov.au before COB 15 December 2021.
Acceptable documentary evidence of food safety management system includes:
- a state, territory or local council food business registration, licence, notification or accreditation number
- certification of third-party accredited food safety management system (for example, HACCP, BRC, SQF, Freshcare, ISO 22000, other)
- for edible grains (e.g. oats, sorghum, field peas and mung beans) and nuts and seeds you can provide a copy of your department Registered Export Establishment certificate
- for facilities that manufacturer both therapeutic goods (i.e. on the ARTG) and non‑therapeutic goods you can provide a copy of your Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) licence to manufacture.
Food processing facilities that carry out the final processing step or final storage before export to China need to be registered with GACC. Each physical facility (location) needs to be registered.
Applications must be submitted directly by the processing or storage facility. Exporters and brand owners, for example, cannot submit on the facility’s behalf. Applications should be submitted by a person in management and control role in the facility.
Further guidance on applying is provided at Attachment 2.
3 Food processing and storage facilities handling product for export to China that require self-registration with GACC (Article 9 foods)
Food processing and storage facilities that handle Article 9 products for export to China must self-register their facilities through the GACC Single Window System (Single Window). as per Section 3 in (MAA2021-46 (Dairy), MAA2021-26 (Seafood), MAA2021-20 (NPG)).
GACC has now released an English version of the self-registration form in the Single Window. Attachment 3 provides updated instructions on how to access the Single Window and guidance for starting an application.
Please note: The Single Window is owned and administered by GACC and the department does not have oversight of the information submitted. The guidance is current to the version of the Single Window System available as at 29 November 2021 and may change if China provides further information or the Single Window is modified. Food processing and storage facilities that commenced self-registration prior to 1 November 2021 are advised to complete their applications as per advice in Attachment 3.
The department warns facilities that are self-registering through the Single Window to be aware of fraudulent websites that are charging fees to assist with registration. GACC do not charge for the registration through the Single Window.
4 New applications for food processing and storage facilities
GACC has released guidance on the ongoing application process for Article 7 products. The department is currently translating the documents and will issue an updated Market Access Advice once further information is available. The guidance is only available in Chinese on the GACC website.
The department has not received any formal guidance on how to submit new applications for Article 7 products. However, the department understands that new application submissions for food processing and storage facilities will only be accepted after 1 January 2022.
Attachments
Attachment 1 - Export Listing Form - China Imported Food Requirements - existing trade Article 7 XLSX [56 KB]
Attachment 2 - Guidance on applying to be registered for Article 7 products for export to China DOCX [123 KB]
Attachment 3 - Update to China registration and labelling DOCX [2.3 MB]
Further information
Contact exportlisting@aff.gov.au if you have any queries.
The information provided in this advice is current at the time of writing and is intended for use as guidance only and should not be taken as definitive or exhaustive. The Commonwealth endeavours to keep information current and accurate, however, it may be subject to change without notice. Exporters are encouraged to verify these details with their importers prior to undertaking production/exports. The Commonwealth will not accept liability for any loss resulting from reliance on information contained in this notice.