As of March 30, 2026, the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) has implemented revised registration requirements for Canadian plant-derived fertilizers for export to China.
Those who produce, process or store plant-derived fertilizer that will be exported to China are required by GACC to register with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and GACC.
What is needed from applicants to register with GACC
GACC requires the following information in either English or Chinese to register with them:
- enterprise name
- CFIA registration number
- address of the enterprise
- product name
- product ingredients
- production and processing methods
- technical specifications
- pest prevention management measures
- packaging labels (must be provided in both English and Chinese)
Applicants must contact their importer in China to request any clarification regarding the information required for registration with GACC. Note, any missing information may result in delayed registration with GACC.
Translation will not be provided by the CFIA and it is the responsibility of those applying for registration with GACC.
Process for requesting registration with GACC
Applicants must send the required information to their local CFIA office. GACC requires the CFIA to submit the registration information to GACC with a request for registration.
The CFIA will not be responsible for reviewing registration information prior to submission to GACC.
Ensure that the registration information is provided to your CFIA local office well in advance of your intended date of export to provide sufficient time for the CFIA to provide it to GACC and for GACC's review and approval.
In the event of missing information, GACC will communicate back through the CFIA who will then contact the applicant.
Timeline for GACC review and approval of a registration
The CFIA has no control or advanced knowledge as to when GACC will register applicants and delays in registration can be common.
After GACC has approved a registration
Once approved by GACC, the applicant will receive a registration number from GACC and the applicant's information will be published on GACC's Department of Plant and Animal Quarantine website (DAPQ online system).
To avoid complications at the port of entry, it is very important that registered applicants verify that their company information is correct and identical to the content of information that may be included with a phytosanitary certificate.
The GACC registration number of the producer, processer and storage facility must be listed on phytosanitary certificates. Exporters must ensure these numbers are provided to the CFIA with each request for a phytosanitary certificate.
Expiry of registration with GACC
Once registered with GACC, the registration is valid for 5 years. Renewals are recommended 3 months prior to the expiry of the registration.
Additional requirements
Applicants should clarify with their importer in China if the product requires registration by Chinese Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA). If so, the MARA registration licence must be included with the request for registration with GACC.
The following is the translation from GACC's website for the Phytosanitary requirements for imported plant-derived fertilizers.
Thank you
Phytosanitary requirements for imported plant-derived fertilizers
(Revised in 2025)
1. Basis of laws and regulations
(1) The Biosecurity Law of the People's Republic of China
(2) The Law of the People's Republic of China on the Inspection of Animals and Plants Entering and Exiting the Territory and its implementing regulations
2. Definition of plant-derived fertilizers
Plant-derived fertilizers in this requirement refer to fertilizer products derived from plants, processed but still capable of spreading pests and diseases and do not contain animal-derived ingredients. For example, fertilizer made from crop straw processing.
3. Applicable countries or regions
All countries and regions.
4. Enterprise registration requirements
Plant-derived fertilizers should be produced and stored under conditions that prevent contamination or infestation. Enterprises that produce, process and store plant-derived fertilizers must be registered with the phytosanitary authority of the country or region where they are located and recommend to the General Administration of Customs, including the name of the enterprise and the registration number of the competent authority of the country or region where they are located, address, product name and ingredients, production and processing technology and treatment technical indicators, epidemic prevention management measures and packaging labels (in Chinese and English). If the registration of fertilizer products is required in accordance with the law, the registration information issued by the relevant competent authorities of China must also be provided and if the registration is exempted, relevant supporting materials shall be provided.
The General Administration of Customs will conduct a review and after passing the review, it will be registered and published on the website and the registration is valid for 5 years. 3 months before the expiration of the validity period, the plant quarantine department of the country or region where it is located shall re-recommend it to the General Administration of Customs and the validity period shall be extended for 5 years after being approved by the General Administration of Customs.
5. Product requirements
Plant-derived fertilizers exported to China should comply with relevant laws, regulations and standards such as fertilizer safety, hygiene and environmental protection in China and meet the following requirements:
(1) Pests not included in the List of Imported Phytosanitary Pests of the People's Republic of China, as well as other pests and alien species that pose serious harm to agricultural and forestry production and the ecological environment
(2) Do not carry soil, animal carcasses and other prohibited substances and other biosecurity risk substances stipulated by laws and regulations
(3) Do not carry animal feces, feathers and other animal-derived components
(4) All materials in plant-derived fertilizers should not have the ability to reproduce
6. Product packaging, storage and transportation requirements
(1) If the packaging is used for transportation, the packaging materials should be used for the first time and clean. The product should be sealed and packaged and each package should be marked with the name of the plant-derived fertilizer, the place of origin, the name of the production, processing, storage enterprise and its registration number in China, etc. in Chinese and English.
(2) The storage place of plant-derived fertilizers before export should be relatively independent, clean and hygienic and effective measures should be taken to prevent pest infestation
(3) The means of transportation should be clean and hygienic, free of pests and other debris. The packaging must not be disassembled or replaced during transportation
(4) If it is packaged in wood, it must comply with the International Phytosanitary Measures Standard No. 15
7. Pre-export quarantine requirements
The plant quarantine authorities of the exporting country or region shall inspect plant-derived fertilizers before they are exported to China. For plant-derived fertilizers that meet these requirements, a phytosanitary certificate shall be issued in accordance with the International Phytosanitary Measures Standard No. 12 and the additional statement shall indicate that "the batch of goods meets the phytosanitary requirements for plant-derived fertilizers imported from China" and the name of the production, processing and storage enterprise and its registration number in China. For plant-derived fertilizers that have been treated with pests, the treatment technical indicators should be indicated in the phytosanitary certificate, including:
- temperature
- humidity
- agents
- concentrations
8. Import declaration requirements
The domestic consignee or his agent shall declare to the customs in accordance with the law, fill in "fertilizer" in the "use" column of the customs declaration form and provide phytosanitary certificates and other documents as required.
9. Entry quarantine and unqualified treatment
(1) Verification of certificates
Check whether the phytosanitary certificate is true and valid and whether it is consistent with the declaration information and cargo information.
(2) Cargo inspection
Carry out quarantine inspections on plant-derived fertilizers, their packaging and transportation tools. If necessary, samples are taken and sent to the laboratory for quarantine. Those who pass the quarantine will be allowed to enter the country.
(3) Handling of unqualified situations
- If there is no valid quarantine certificate issued by the plant quarantine authority of the exporting country or region, it shall be returned or destroyed
- If soil, animal carcasses and other prohibited items stipulated by laws and regulations are found, they shall be returned or destroyed
- If a living quarantine pest or other living pest that is seriously harmful to agricultural and forestry production and the ecological environment is found, it shall be allowed to enter the country after passing the pest control treatment
If there is no effective pest control method, it shall be returned or destroyed. - If other laws and regulations are found that do not comply with China's imported phytosanitary laws and regulations and national standards, they shall be dealt with in accordance with relevant regulations
In response to the relevant violations found, the General Administration of Customs will notify the plant quarantine authorities of the exporting country or region and take measures such as suspending the export of relevant enterprises and related types of plant-derived fertilizers to China in accordance with relevant laws and regulations as appropriate.
10. Other requirements
The General Administration of Customs will carry out further risk assessment of imported plant-derived fertilizers according to the interception of pests and dynamically adjust the types of imported plant-derived fertilizers and the list of export countries or regions.
Imported plant-derived fertilizer samples used for fertilizer registration can be exempted from the registration requirements of production, processing and storage enterprises with relevant certification materials and their registration number in China may not be indicated in the product packaging and plant quarantine certificate.