In accordance with Chinese laws and regulations and pursuant to the mutually established inspection and sanitary requirements between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as "the Chinese Side") and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Bulgaria (hereinafter referred to as "the Bulgarian Side"), the import of Bulgarian wild-caught aquatic products that comply with the following requirements is permitted, with immediate effect.
I. Guiding Principles for Inspection and Quarantine
(I) Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of Chinaand its implementing regulations, the People's Republic of China on the Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine and its implementing regulations, as well as the Law of the People's Republic of China on Import and Export Commodity Inspection and its implementing regulations.
(II) Administrative Measures of the People’s Republic of China for the Safety of Food for Import or Export, and the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Registration and Administration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Food.
(III) Protocol on Inspection and Sanitary Requirements for Wild Aquatic Products Intended for Export from Bulgaria to China between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Bulgaria (hereinafter referred to as "the Protocol").
II. Scope of Eligible Products for Import
The term "wild-caught aquatic products" refers to wild aquatic animal products and their derivatives, algae, and other marine plant natural products and their derivatives intended for human consumption. This scope excludes live aquatic animals and materials for the propagation of aquatic animals and plants.
III. Requirements for Production Enterprises
Production enterprises (including those engaged in manufacturing, processing, and storage) that intend to export wild-caught aquatic products to China must obtain approval and be effectively supervised by the competent Bulgarian authorities. Their food safety, hygiene management, and protection systems shall comply with the requirements of relevant Chinese laws and regulations on food safety.
Such production enterprises must be recommended by the Bulgarian side to the Chinese side for registration. No exports to China are permitted without successful registration.
IV. Product Requirements for Import
The Bulgarian side shall ensure that all wild-caught aquatic products intended for export to China meet the following conditions:
2. Any aquatic animal disease listed in the List of Quarantine Diseases for the Animals Imported to the People’s Republic of China (hereinafter referred to asthe List) or designated as notifiable by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), which is related to the products under the Protocol, has occurred in Bulgaria, and this occurrence has seriously compromised the safety of wild-caught aquatic products exported to China.
3. A situation exists, such as a major food safety incident in Bulgaria, a major public health incident at a production enterprise, or contamination of fishing waters, that has seriously affected the safety of wild-caught aquatic products exported to China.
(IV) Upon inspection and quarantine by the competent authorities, the products are verified to be free from: pathogenic microorganisms, toxic or hazardous substances, or foreign matter as specified in Chinese laws and regulations; cases of any infectious or parasitic diseases; and any aquatic animal diseases listed in the List or designated as notifiable by WOAH.
(V) All stages of production, including capture, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, transshipment, and export, comply with relevant Chinese safety and hygiene requirements as well as traceability standards.
(VI) Product packaging and labeling shall comply with Chinese national food safety standards and relevant regulations on imported food safety.
V. Certification Requirements
The Bulgarian side shall, in accordance with the requirements of Chinese side, perform inspection and quarantine of wild-caught aquatic products intended for export to China. For each consignment, it shall issue a health certificate mutually recognized by both sides, certifying that the products comply with relevant Chinese laws and regulationson food safety. Certificates shall be printed in at least Chinese and English (English shall be used as the mandatory language for completion).
Health certificates shall contain complete information of the production enterprises involved in the exporting process of wild-caught aquatic products to China. The Bulgarian side shall provide specimen certificates and official seal impressions to the Chinese side for registration in a timely manner. Any revisions shall be communicated to the Chinese side for registration at least one month prior to their effective date.
VI. Other Provisions
China Customs shall carry out inspection and quarantine of wild-caught aquatic products imported from Bulgaria to China in accordance with Chinese laws, regulations, standards, and the Protocol.
Non-compliant products shall be subject to disposal measures such as destruction, return, or other appropriate treatments. In cases where a production enterprise is responsible for serious or repeated non-compliance, the Chinese side may impose strengthened inspection and quarantine measures or suspend its import eligibility.
END
Prepared by: the Bureau of Import and Export Food Safety of the General Administration of Customs of China, Dalian Customs, Shenzhen Customs,and Zhanjiang Customs.
Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of GACC. The GACC version shall prevail.
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