Effective January 1, 2022, exporters and processing establishments that export to China need to comply with two new Chinese regulations for imported food and overseas food establishments: Decree 248: Regulations on the Registration and Administration of Overseas Producers of Imported Food and Decree 249: Administrative Measures on Import and Export Food Safety.
As part of China’s registration requirements, foreign establishments or vessels involved in the production, processing, or storage of any food product exported to China must be registered in the General Administration of Customs China (GACC) online China Import Food Enterprise Registration (CIFER) system.
GACC has added information for currently registered Canadian establishments into the CIFER system and has also provided the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) with usernames and passwords that are unique to each establishment. Considering the information is confidential, the CFIA will contact each company individually over the next couple of weeks. Establishments that will be contacted include:
- ‘high risk’ commodities (fish and seafood, meat and dairy) currently on China’s eligibility list; and
- ‘medium risk’ commodities that provided their information in October 2021, which was submitted by CFIA to GACC, China.
Attention: This information will be sent via email, from the CFIA to establishments, using the contact details provided to the CFIA through the MyCFIA enrollment process. For those companies that registered in October (medium risk commodities), the CFIA will use the contact information submitted at that time.
Action Required: When usernames and passwords have been received, establishments will be required to reset their password once they have logged into the system for the first time. Establishments will also need to verify the accuracy of information in the system and make corrections as needed.
If your establishment falls into one of the categories indicated above and you have not received the email with your establishment-specific information by February 21, 2022, please contact the MAS (aafc.mas-sam.aac@agr.gc.ca) account with a copy (c.c.) to the CFIA Food Export email account FE-AE@inspection.gc.ca.
