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China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC) has issued Announcement No. 150 of 2026, revising and republishing the Provisions on the Filing Administration of Importers and Exporters of Imported Food (备案), effective 23 October 2026. The provisions apply to every overseas exporter or agent selling food into China, including Vietnamese exporters of seafood, processed agricultural products, spices, beverages and fruit products.
Key points
- GACC Announcement 150/2026 (signed 23 October 2026) replaces the provisions issued with Announcement 55/2012, which had applied since 1 October 2012.
- Customs processes filings from overseas exporters within 3 working days; a filing is valid indefinitely and does not need renewal.
- When filed information changes, the company must complete the change procedure within 60 days of the date of the change.
- The information form for overseas exporters is cut from 20 to 10 items; at import declaration, the exporter’s filing number must be declared truthfully and customs will verify it.
New provisions replace rules applied for 14 years
The previous rules were Annex 1 to Announcement No. 55 of 2012, issued by China’s former General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine and applied from 1 October 2012. GACC’s explanatory note published on 26 October 2026 gives two reasons for the revision: some provisions were no longer consistent with current law, and the filing procedure still carried the 2012 requirements, with cumbersome documentation and long processing times.
The new provisions cite China’s Food Safety Law and its implementing regulations, the State Council’s Special Provisions on strengthening food safety supervision, and the Administrative Measures on Import and Export Food Safety. Article 1 states the aim plainly: to improve the traceability of imported food.
On the Vietnamese side, the Embassy of Vietnam in China forwarded the Announcement and the explanatory note to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment by official telegram on 27 October 2026. On 29 October 2026, the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection sent Official Letter No. 4412/TTTV-ATTPMT to provincial Departments of Agriculture and Environment, industry associations and companies exporting food of plant origin to China.
What has changed
| Item | New provisions (Announcement 150/2026) |
|---|---|
| Processing time for overseas exporters and agents | 3 working days from acceptance; if the file is incomplete, customs gives a single notice within 3 working days |
| Processing time for Chinese importers | Cut from 5 to 3 working days |
| Filing information forms | Overseas exporters: from 20 to 10 items; importers: from 20 to 16 items |
| Validity of filing | Indefinite |
| Changes to information | Change procedure within 60 days of the change |
| Food category list | Aligned across importers, overseas exporters or agents, and overseas manufacturers |
Source: GACC, Announcement 150/2026 and explanatory note of 26 October 2026.
Procedure for Vietnamese exporters
Under Article 4, an overseas exporter or agent files with GACC using the “Information Form of Food Exporter/Agent” (Annex 1) and is responsible for the accuracy of the information. Applications are submitted through China’s International Trade Single Window or the customs online government services portal (Article 9). Mandatory fields are the English name and address, country, contact person, telephone, email and the food categories handled; the Chinese name and address are optional. The form must be signed or stamped and uploaded as a scan or photo.
Once the filing is accepted, customs issues a filing number, and the information is published on the China Customs enterprise import and export credit information disclosure platform. The food categories on the form include groups such as aquatic products, fruit products, frozen fruit, dried fruits, vegetables and vegetable products (excluding fresh and dehydrated vegetables; dehydrated vegetables are a separate group), nuts and seeds, plant spices, tea, beverages and frozen beverages, and roasted coffee and cocoa. Food additives and food-related products outside the list follow other regulations.
Tighter checks at declaration
Article 11 requires food import declarations to state truthfully the names of the importer and exporter, the importer’s unified social credit code and the filing number of the overseas exporter or agent; customs checks and verifies this information. Customs may carry out on-site inspections, review documents or ask companies to submit materials (Article 10). If filed information does not match reality, customs requires correction within a set period; if it is not corrected in time, customs orders the correction (Article 12).
The new provisions set out five grounds for cancelling a filing (Article 8): dissolution or bankruptcy; revocation of registration or business licence; voluntary cancellation; cancellation of the consignor or consignee registration with customs; and other cases provided by law. GACC’s explanatory note calls this an exit mechanism and stresses the management of information changes under Article 20 of GACC Order No. 249.
What companies should do
The following are AgrifoodV’s recommendations, not content of Announcement 150/2026.
- Check the exporter filing number currently in use and match the English name and address against shipping documents; mismatched information is grounds for Chinese customs to require correction.
- Set an internal procedure for the 60-day deadline: when the name, address, contact person or email changes, the person in charge of the Single Window account should update it immediately rather than waiting for the next shipment.
- Review the food categories declared when adding new products (for example, moving from puree to juice, or from frozen seafood to processed products), since the list is now aligned with those of importers and manufacturing plants.
- Work with the Chinese importer to make sure the declaration carries your correct filing number; exporter filing is a separate procedure from manufacturer registration and from product-specific quarantine requirements.
Companies that need a review of their documentation and market-access conditions for China, product line by product line, may refer to AgrifoodV’s market advisory services.
References
- General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), 海关总署公告2026年第150号（关于修订发布《进口食品进出口商备案管理规定》的公告）, Announcement No. 150 of 2026, 23 October 2026, with Annexes 1 and 2; full Chinese text and unofficial Vietnamese translation attached to Official Telegram No. 2532/TCO CD of 27 October 2026 from the Embassy of Vietnam in China, posted on the website of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection. ppd.gov.vn (PDF) (accessed 5 November 2026).
- General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), 海关总署关于《进口食品进出口商备案管理规定》的解读 (Explanatory note on the Provisions on the Filing Administration of Importers and Exporters of Imported Food), 26 October 2026, in the same attachment (accessed 5 November 2026).
- Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, Official Letter No. 4412/TTTV-ATTPMT of 29 October 2026, V/v GACC ban hành quy định mới về quản lý đăng ký đối với nhà xuất khẩu, nhập khẩu thực phẩm [On GACC issuing new rules on the filing of food exporters and importers]. ppd.gov.vn (accessed 5 November 2026).
Article by AgrifoodV, compiled from the sources above (accessed 5 November 2026). This content is not a substitute for legal advice.
Cover image: Wolfgang Weiser / Pexels
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