Under Decrees 248 and 249, food and agri-food products have been classified by China's General Administration of Customs China (GACC) as either "high risk", "medium risk", or "low risk".
Foreign establishments responsible for producing, manufacturing, processing, or storing high risk, medium risk, and low risk foods must register their establishments, as well as the products that will be exported, in the China Import Food Enterprise Registration (CIFER) system managed by GACC prior to export.
Agri-food products are generally plant products which are exported to China in a raw state and have been classified as medium risk. However, establishments responsible for processing, storing or exporting such products undergo a separate listing registration process managed by China's Department of Animal and Plant Quarantine (DAPQ).
CFIA understands China's categorizations of various food and agri-food product types and their specific registration processes according to the information below.
Canada has market access to China for almost all "medium-risk" and "low-risk" food products as per the Product specifications section below.
Category: high-risk foods, registration in CIFER required
- Meat and meat products (beef and pork)
- Aquatic products (fish and seafood products for human consumption)
- Dairy products
- Eggs and egg products (note: Canada does not have market access for these products)
Note: for more information on CIFER registration of establishments and high risk products prior to export to China, refer to CFIA's Food Export Requirements Library .
Category: medium-risk foods, registration in CIFER required
- Bee products (for example, honey, royal jelly)
- Casings (salted)
- Grain milling products (for example, soy flour, dried bean flour, malt, wheat flour, oat flour, oatmeal, wild rice)
- Edible vegetable oil
- Functional foodFootnote 1
- Foods for special dietary purposesFootnote 2
Note: for more information on CIFER registration of establishments and medium risk products prior to export to China, refer to CFIA's Food Export Requirements Library.
Category: medium-risk agri-food products, listing registration by DAPQ required
- Pulses (for example, raw grains of dried peas, kidney beans, navy beans)
- Oilseeds (for example, mustard seed, flaxseed, borage seeds)
- Edible raw grains (for example, canary seed)
- Fresh vegetables (for example, fresh or chilled cucumbers and gherkins, fresh or chilled peas with or without pod)
- Plant-based seasonings (for example, pepper, mustard powder, paprika)
- Unroasted coffee beans
- Unroasted cocoa beans (note: Canada does not have market access for this product)
- Fresh blueberries
- Fresh cherries
- Plant products used for traditional Chinese medicine
Note: Companies seeking registration of the above products must contact Canada's Market Access Secretariat (MAS) single window prior to export at aafc.mas-sam.aac@agr.gc.ca
Category: low-risk foods, registration in CIFER required
The low-risk category includes all other food products not listed as high risk and medium risk categories above.
Note: for more information on CIFER registration of establishments and low risk products prior to export to China, refer to CFIA's Food Export Requirements Library.