By Wang Jiankun, Bu Songtao, and Chen Naibin
I. Eligibility Requirements
China implements a comprehensive registration system for all enterprises engaged in the production and operation of seedlings and ornamental plants for export. Producers without valid registration are prohibited from exporting relevant products. The registration for producers is divided into two categories: one for planting bases, and the other for processing, packaging, and storage facilities.
Requirements for registered export planting basesof seedlings and flowersare as follows: phytosanitary requirements specified by both China and the importing country or region must be met; no major plant disease outbreaks or significant quality and safety incidents should have occurred in the past two years; a well-documented quality management system must be established, covering materials concerning organizational structure, personnel training, pest monitoring and control, agrochemical usage management, good agricultural practices and the traceability system; they shall establish and maintain planting archives that document, in detail, the source and traceable pathway of seedings and flowers, planting and harvesting schedules, pest monitoring and control activities, as well as all other essential daily operations, and designate full-time or part-time plant protection officers responsible for pest monitoring, prevention and control within the base.
Requirements for registered exportprocessing, packaging, and storage facilitiesof seedlings and flowersare as follows: clean premises with dedicated raw material storage and finished goods warehouses meeting preservation standards for seedlings and flowers must be maintained; clearly segregated functional zones for receiving, processing, treatment, and storage with proper layout, physically separated from living quarters at appropriate distances must be set up; and quarantine-compliant facilities for washing, processing, pest and disease control, as well as necessary disinfection, must be equipped with.The water sources and agricultural chemicals used for processing seedlings and flowers must comply with hygiene and environmental standards of both China and the importing country or region, while a comprehensive quality management system must be implemented, covering epidemic prevention measures during processing, packaging, storage and transportation of seedings and flowers, emergency response protocols, and staff training.Complete records of sourcing and sales, ensuring full traceability of all seedling and flower products throughout the supply chainmust be maintained. Packaging materials for export seedlings and flowers must be clean and sanitary. Reuse of such materials is strictly prohibited. Shipping cartons must be labeled with the product name, quantity, registration number of the enterprise, production batch number, and other relevant information. Full-time or part-time plant protection officers must be designated to ensure the implementation of epidemic prevention measures, maintain quality and safety control, and perform self-inspection of finished goods at all stages, from the acceptance of raw materials through their processing, packaging, and storage. Finally, the facilities must possess planting bases with adequate production capacity of seedings and flowers to meet their processing needs or maintain established supply agreements with such registered planting bases.
II. Required Documents and Application Process
The required documents for application include: layout diagrams of the planting base and processing, packaging, and storage facility; alayout planof the testing laboratory; and photographs of the main production or processing areas and disinfection facilities.
Enterprises may log in to the integrated online service platform of "Internet plus Customs" and submit an online application along with electronic application materials to their local Customs authority.After accepting the application, the local Customs office will conduct a comprehensive review in accordance with statutory conditions and procedures, and shall render a decision within 20 working days from the date of acceptance. If a decision cannot be made within 20 working days, the processing time limit may be extended by 10 days with the approval of the head of the directly subordinate Customs authority, and the reasons for extending the time limit shall be provided to the applicant in writing. Besides, applicants may check the status of their application through the integrated online service platform of "Internet plus Customs", the Customs Service Hotline: 12360, and so on.
Where the application passes the review, Customs will issue a written approval of the registration in accordance with the law, notify the applicant, and issue the registration certificateaccordingly. Where the application fails the review, a written decision of denial shall be issued. This process shall apply to all application types, including initial registration, modification, renewal, and deregistration.
III. Customs Recommendations
Producers and exporters of seedlings and ornamental plants are advised to enhance independent brand development by strengthening their awareness of cultivating proprietary brands, increasing the technological added value of products, and intensifying the breeding and development of new varieties. They should boost exports of products with independent intellectual property rights, shifting their operational model from "labor-intensive" and "land-dependent" to "technology-led" and "innovation-driven".
Producers and exporters of seedlings and ornamental plantsare encouraged toadvance their senses of primary responsibility for quality and safety, enhance technical support, and reduce risks related to the spread of associated epidemics.An effective early warning system should be established toproactively monitor international phytosanitary regulations, whereby enterprises conduct analysis and evaluation in light of their actual conditions to formulate appropriate responses. Furthermore, a product quality management system with source control at its core should be established, by implementing effective pest control and phytosanitary treatments to avoid issues such as being notified or having shipments returned.
(by an author fromShenyang Customs)
Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of China Inspection and Quarantine Times. The China Inspection and Quarantine Times version shall prevail.
