Reliable and useful sea cucumber import guide for ensuring food safety in import and export!

Sea cucumber has always been known as the "sea ginseng", containing trace elements such as taurine, chondroitin sulfate, Zn, Se, as well as more than 50 beneficial nutrients for the human body such as vitamin B1 and niacin. It is a low cholesterol, low-fat, high protein nutritional food. In recent years, sea cucumbers have become increasingly popular among people, and the demand for imported sea cucumbers has also increased.

Customs clearance process for imported sea cucumber

I
Common varieties and import tax numbers of imported sea cucumber

1. Frozen other sea cucumbers (imitation sea cucumbers, sea cucumbers): 0308120090

2. Other sea cucumbers made or preserved: 1605610090

3. Other sea cucumbers (such as sea cucumbers and sea cucumbers) that are dried, salted, or salted, including smoked ones, regardless of whether they are cooked before or during smoking: 0308190090

II

Import access requirements
The entry countries and varieties of sea cucumber can be listed in the "Catalogue of Foods Exported to China from Countries or Regions that Meet Assessment and Review Requirements and Have Traditional Trade"（ http://43.248.49.223/ ）Conduct a query. The General Administration of Customs dynamically updates the directory.

III

Requirements for overseas production enterprises

Overseas production, processing and storage enterprises (including fishing vessels, transport vessels and processing vessels with refrigeration facilities) exporting to China shall be recommended to the General Administration of Customs by the competent authorities of the country (region) where they are located for registration, and can only be exported to China after being registered by the General Administration of Customs.

The list of enterprises registered in China can be queried through the "Registration Management System for Overseas Production Enterprises of Imported Food"（ https://ciferquery.singlewindow.cn/ ）.

IV

Requirements for importers and exporters
1. Overseas exporters or agents and domestic importers should go through the "single window" or "Internet plus+customs" of international trade（ http://online.customs.gov.cn/ ）Applying for registration with the customs can be queried through the "Specific Qualification Administrative Relative Name List" column of the "China Customs Enterprise Import and Export Credit Information Publicity Platform"（ http://credit.customs.gov.cn/ ）.

2. Importers should establish a food import and sales record system, record relevant vouchers, and keep them for no less than 6 months after the expiration of the food shelf life; If there is no clear shelf life, the shelf life is more than 2 years after sales.

3. Importers should establish an audit system for overseas exporters and production enterprises.

V

Entry declaration requirements
1. Invoice, contract, bill of lading, certificate of origin (if necessary), official inspection and quarantine certificate of the exporting country or region, and Import Animal and Plant Quarantine License.

2. Importers or agents importing food shall truthfully declare to the customs in accordance with the law and provide official inspection and quarantine certificates from the exporting country or region confirmed by the General Administration of Customs. The inspection and quarantine certificate should have the seal of the competent government department of the exporting country or region and the signature of the official veterinarian, and the destination should be marked as the People's Republic of China.

3. Those who need to apply for entry quarantine approval must obtain the "Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine License" before signing the trade contract or agreement.

4. The products declared for import (HS code and CIQ code) should be consistent with the products intended for export to China when the overseas food production enterprise is registered.

VI

On site inspection
According to the needs of supervision and management, the customs will conduct on-site inspections of imported sea cucumbers, including but not limited to the following:
（1） Whether the transportation vehicles and storage locations comply with safety and hygiene requirements;
（2） Whether the container number, seal number, labeling content on the inner and outer packaging, and the actual condition of the goods match the declared information and accompanying documents;
（3） Does the imported sea cucumber, its packaging, and bedding materials fall under the circumstances specified in Article 22 of the Implementation Regulations of the Law on the Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine;
（4） Whether the internal and external packaging complies with national food safety standards, and whether there is contamination, damage, soaking, or infiltration;
（5） Whether the labels, markings, and instructions of the inner and outer packaging comply with the requirements of laws, administrative regulations, national food safety standards, and the regulations of the General Administration of Customs;
（6） Whether the sensory characteristics of imported sea cucumbers conform to the expected traits of sea cucumbers;
（7） Whether the freshness and central temperature of frozen and refrigerated sea cucumbers meet the requirements, whether there are any lesions, whether the temperature of the frozen and refrigerated environment meets the relevant standards, whether the cold chain temperature control equipment and facilities operate normally, whether the temperature records meet the requirements, and if necessary, steaming and boiling tests can be conducted.

VII

Requirements for venue qualifications
Imported fresh sea cucumber must undergo inspection and quarantine at the designated supervision site for imported fresh seafood products approved and announced by the General Administration of Customs（ http://www.customs.gov.cn/customs/ztzl86/302310/2394720/4568183/index.html ）.

VIII

Requirements for packaging and labeling
The inner and outer packages of imported sea cucumbers shall be firmly, clearly and easily identified in Chinese and English, Chinese and the exporting country (region), and shall be marked with the following contents: trade name and scientific name, specifications, production date, batch number, shelf life and storage conditions, production mode (seawater fishing, freshwater fishing, aquaculture), production area (marine fishing area, freshwater fishing country or region, and the country or region where the aquaculture products are located), names, registration numbers and addresses (specifically to the state/province/city) of all production and processing enterprises involved (including fishing vessels, processing vessels, transport vessels, and independent refrigerators), and the destination must be marked as the People's Republic of China. The labels of pre packaged aquatic products should also comply with the requirements of Chinese laws, regulations, and national food safety standards.

IX

Qualification assessment
Imported sea cucumbers that have been assessed as qualified by customs are allowed to be imported; For those assessed as unqualified by customs, a certificate of non conformity shall be issued by customs; For items related to safety, health, and environmental protection that are deemed unqualified, the customs shall notify the food importer in writing and order them to destroy or return the goods; For other projects that are not qualified, only those that meet the qualification assessment requirements after technical processing are allowed to be imported.

Contributions: Animal and Plant Quarantine Department, Import and Export Food Safety Department, Huangpu New Port Customs