Announcement No. 63, 2022 of the General Administration of Customs(Notice on inspection and quarantine requirements for imported Brazilian peanuts)

Notice no. 63 [2022]

In accordance with relevant Chinese laws and regulations and the Protocol between the General Administration of Customs of PRC and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply of the Federal Republic of Brazil on Plant Quarantine Requirements of Brazilian Shelled Peanuts for Export to China, the Brazilian peanuts that meet the following requirements is now allowed to be imported:

1. Basis of inspection and quarantine

(1) Biosafety Law of the People's Republic of China;

(2) Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine Law of the People's Republic of China and its implementation regulations, Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China and its implementation regulations;

(3) Administrative Measures on import and Export Food Safety of the People's Republic of China ; 　　

(4) Protocol between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply of the Federal Republic of Brazil on Plant Quarantine Requirements of Brazilian Shelled Peanuts for Export to China.

2. Names of goods allowed to enter the country

Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) in this announcement refer to shelled peanut seeds produced in Brazil and exported to China for processing rather than cultivation purposes.

3. Permitted origin

Throughout Brazil.

4. Enterprise registration

Exporters and storage enterprises of peanut exporting to China shall be registered in the General Administration of Customs of PRC (hereinafter referred to as "GACC") to ensure that they meet the requirements of inspection and quarantine of China. The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply of the Federal Republic of Brazil (hereinafter referred to as "MAPA") shall provide the List of exporters and warehousing enterprises to GACC in advance. GACC will publish a list of relevant companies on its website.

5. Pests concerned by GACC

Peanuts exported to China shall not carry the following pests concerned by GACC:

　　1. 鹰嘴豆象Callosobruchus analis

　　2. 红火蚁Solenopsis invicta

　　3. 鸡蛋果木质化病毒Passion fruit woodiness virus

　　4. 豇豆轻斑驳病毒Cowpea mild mottle virus

　　5. 菜豆普通花叶病毒 Bean common mosaic virus

　　6. 菜豆黄花叶病毒 Bean yellow mosaic virus

6. Production and export requirements

(1) Production requirements.

MAPA should supervise its enterprises to establish an Integrated Pest Management system (IPM) to reduce the incidence of pests concerned by GACC.

Peanuts exported to China should comply with Chinese plant quarantine and food safety laws and regulations, and other national standards. The peanuts shall not be accompanied with soil, and should not be deliberately added or mixed with other grains and foreign impurities.

(2) Inspection and quarantine before export.

The MAPA should supervise the enterprises and take cleaning measures such as screening during the process of peanut storage and transportation or before shipment to ensure that peanuts exported to China do not carry plant residues, impurities and dangerous, toxic or harmful weed seeds.

Laboratory tests should be carried out before each batch of peanut exported to ensure that the following pests are not carried: 鸡蛋果木质化病毒Passion fruit woodiness virus、豇豆轻斑驳病毒Cowpea mild mottle virus、菜豆普通花叶病毒Bean common mosaic virus、菜豆黄花叶病毒 Bean yellow mosaic virus.

Every batch of peanuts exported to China should be tested for aflatoxin to ensure that they meet the requirements of Chinese national food safety standards. 　　

(3) Certificate requirements.

For the goods that meet the requirements, The MAPA shall issue a phytosanitary certificate, which shall be indicated in English in the attached declaration: "The consignment meets The phytosanitary requirements described in The Peanut Protocol from Brazil to China and is free from the quarantine pests concerned by China"（该批货物符合巴西花生输华植物检疫要求议定书要求，不带中方关注的检疫性有害生物）.  The enterprise name, registration number and container number should be indicated. In case any live insects are found, the cargo should be fumigated before export, and the treatment indicators should be indicated in the plant quarantine certificate.

(4) Packaging and transportation requirements.

Peanuts exporting to China must be packed to avoid leakage during transportation. Packing materials must be clean and unused, free of toxic and harmful substances.

Each package shall have at least one label indicating the name of the enterprise, registration number, and marked in Both Chinese and English “从巴西出口到中华人民共和国的脱壳花生”and "SHELLED PEANUTS FROM BRAZIL TO BE EXPORTED TO THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA" . Containers for peanuts should be cleaned.

7. Entry inspection and quarantine

(1) Certificate verification.

    1. Check whether it comes from a registered enterprise;

    2. Check whether the plant quarantine certificate is true and valid.

(2) Inspection of goods.

Inspection and quarantine shall be carried out on peanuts in accordance with relevant laws, administrative regulations and rules and in combination with article 5 and Article 6 in this Requirement. The peanuts will be approved for entry after qualification of the inspection and quarantine.

8. Handling for non-conforming situations

(1) If there is no valid phytosanitary certificate, the goods shall be returned or destroyed;

(2) Goods from unregistered enterprises shall be returned or destroyed;

(3) If unapproved GM ingredients are found, the goods shall be returned or destroyed;

(4) If aflatoxin and other safety & hygiene items exceed the limits of Chinese national food safety standards, the goods shall be returned or destroyed;

(5) If the harmful organisms concerned by GACC which are listed in this Announcement are found, the relevant goods shall be allowed to enter China after effective disinfection treatment; if the effective disinfection treatment is not available, the goods shall be returned or destroyed.

Other cases that fail to meet Chinese requirements for animals and plants quarantine of entry shall be dealt with in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.

Hereby announce.

The General Administration of Customs

July 19, 2022