News from AAFC Market Access Secretariat
December 17, 2021 – China Decrees 248/249 – Additional information on the self-registration process for low-risk products
In addition to the notice to industry on November 10, 2021, below is further information based on the version of GACC’s International Trade Single Window Service System available as of November 26, 2021.
Please note that information on the registration process is provided by and at the discretion of the General Administration of Customs China (GACC). The information provided by GACC may change without notice at any time.
As previously noted and available on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) website, GACC is requiring all establishments involved in the manufacturing/processing and/or dry/cold storage of food and agri-food products that do not fall under the GACC’s “high-risk ” or “medium-risk ” categories of products exported to China to self-register directly with GACC.
Canadian businesses can access the self-registration portal on GACC’s International Trade Single Window Service System and self-register directly. Registration requires identification of the physical location of the establishment and each location needs to be registered separately. Note, that if your establishment has been previously registered with GACC for “high-risk” or “medium-risk” products, then you do not need to self-register in the GACC portal.
As part of the self-registration process, GACC is requesting each establishment provide a “registration number” approved by the CFIA. An establishment ID number assigned to you by the CFIA or a Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) licence number that is unique to a single establishment location may serve this purpose.
If exporters have any concerns using a unique SFCR licence number per establishment location or there is no associated SFCR licence, please contact the Market Access Secretariat (MAS) and Food Export-Aliments Exportation (CFIA/ACIA) at the email addresses below.
CFIA has obtained a copy of GACC’s “Operation Manual” to assist foreign companies to register on their single window registration portal. Please find below a courtesy unofficial English translation of the documentation. The Government of Canada continues to seek further information from China prior to the implementation date of January 1, 2022, and will provide an update in a subsequent notice .
Questions from industry should be directed to the Market Access Secretariat: aafc.mas-sam.aac@agr.gc.ca and Food Export-Aliments Exportation (CFIA/ACIA): FE-AE@inspection.gc.ca.
November 10, 2021 – We would like to inform you that the General Administration of Customs China (GACC) has officially activated the self-registration online portal for foreign companies involved in the processing and cold/dry storage of “low-risk” products exported to China under its Decree 248 requirements.
Canadian companies may access this self-registration portal on GACC’s International Trade Single Window Service System through the following link: https://en.singlewindow.cn/ and may also self-register directly through the following link: https://app.singlewindow.cn/userserver/user/abroad/index. It is important to note that companies may experience technical difficulties while navigating this web portal (e.g., slow-loading web pages) and that several sections of the website have yet to be fully translated into English.
We understand that all companies involved in the processing and dry/cold-storage of ALL food and agri-food products for export to China, OTHER THAN “high-risk” and/or “medium-risk ” products, are considered to have “low-risk” products from China’s perspective. Accordingly, these companies will need to self-register directly with GACC. For your reference, below is a document which includes the list of products, provided to Canada by GACC, falling under the “high” and “medium”-risk product categories.
Please note that for all commodities currently registered under Decree 177 (i.e., barley, canola seed, soybeans, wheat) or under other lists submitted by the Government of Canada to China Customs (e.g., cherries, blueberries, alfalfa hay, pet food, dairy products, beef and pork), it is our understanding that companies exporting these commodities to China will continue to be registered under the existing process and will therefore not be required to self-register under the Decree 248 requirements.
Please also note that GACC has not provided a deadline for companies to complete their self-registration prior to implementation of the Decrees on January 1, 2022.
