The 5th China International import Expo will be held at the Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center from 5 to 10 November this year. Food and agricultural products have always been one of the most popular areas at previous fairs. Shanghai Customs has carefully summarized its experience in the supervision and protection of imported food exhibits at the previous four sessions of the Expo and has prepared this tips for the reference of exhibitors.

The following is presented in a question and answer format

Q1: Can we prepare some exhibits for visitors to try and taste at the CIIE ?

A1:

For food products intended to be tried, tasted or distributed at the CIIE, the exhibitors should inform Shanghai Customs in advance in writing of the expected consumption and specify the intended use and quantity of the exhibition supplies, which should be within reasonable limits and commensurate with the scale of the event. For the exhibition supplies to be tried, tasted or distributed, the exhibitor concerned shall have proof of conformity (official certificate of the participating country/third party inspection report/exhibitor's self-inspection report/exhibitor's declaration of conformity).

Q2: Do exhibits need to be labelled in Chinese if they can be tried and tasted?

A2: For prepackaged food that is only for exhibition during the CIIE, it is exempted from attaching Chinese labels and sampling inspections, and is exempted from checking the record certificate of the consignee and consignor. For the exhibits that need a small amount of trial and tasting, the customs will take samples for inspection before the exhibition according to the food safety risk assessment, and the Chinese label can be exempted if the inspection is compliant.

Q3: Can unapproved food be allowed to exhibit? How to check whether our exhibits meet the admission requirements?

A3: In order to strengthen safety risk control, animal and plant-derived foods that have not been quarantined are not allowed to enter the country. Please pay attention to this issue to avoid exhibitors being blocked outside the country without adequate preparation.

Q4: Can food exhibits consumed at the CIIE be tax-free?

A4: For small samples (except alcoholic beverages, tobacco products and fuel) during the CIIE activities, including samples of food or beverages imported or made from bulk raw materials, the customs shall verify the quantity and total value of them according to the actual situation. Within a reasonable range, customs duties, value-added tax and consumption tax shall be exempted in accordance with relevant regulations. Such goods shall also meet the following conditions:

(1) Provided by the exhibitor free of charge and exclusively distributed to the audience for free use or consumption during the exhibition;

(2) The unit price is low, and it is used for advertising samples;

(3) Not intended for commercial use and where the unit volume is significantly less than the minimum retail packaging capacity;

(4) Samples of food and beverages that are not distributed in the packaging specified in subparagraph (3) of this paragraph, but are indeed consumed at the event.