China’s Decree No. 280 is considered an important adjustment in Its food import management policy, directly impacting all businesses exporting agricultural products and food to the country.

The General
Administration of Customs of China (GACC) has issued the revised
“Administrative Provisions on the Customs Registration of Overseas
Manufacturers of Imported Food in the People’s Republic of China” (Decree
No. 280), which will take effect
from June 1, 2026, replacing Decree No. 248 which has been applied since 2022.

This
information was revealed at a  conference, theming “Updating Regulations and Commitments
on Food Safety and Animal and Plant Quarantine (SPS) in the RCEP Agreement,”  organized on October 21 by the Vietnam SPS Office, in coordination with the Hung Yen Provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment.

According to
Mr. Ngo Xuan Nam, Deputy Director of the Vietnam SPS Office, Decree No. 280 is
considered an important adjustment in China’s food import management policy,
adding 7 new points compared to the old regulations and directly impacting all
businesses exporting agricultural products and food to China.

While Decree
No. 248 required Chinese customs authorities to evaluate the food safety
management system of each exporting country before granting permission, Decree
No. 280 will eliminate this condition, replacing it with a “risk-based
classification management” model. This is a systemic change, shifting from
an administrative approach to a more flexible mechanism based on the risk level
of each product group and the food safety situation in an exporting country.

According to
Mr. Nam, this new mechanism not only reduces the procedural burden for
businesses but also helps China maintain high safety standards while expanding
market access opportunities for developing countries like Vietnam. “This
is a systemic shift that both ensures risk control and creates more favorable
conditions for international agricultural trade,” he emphasized.

One of the
progressive points of the new decree  is the improvement in the renewal of
export registration codes. Previously, businesses had to complete renewal
procedures within 3–6 months before the code expired; under the new regulation,
facilities meeting the requirements will be automatically renewed for an
additional 5 years without resubmitting documents.

GACC only
excludes three cases: products on the list not eligible for automatic renewal;
businesses undergoing rectification for violations; or when China temporarily
suspends imports of products from that country. This mechanism is evaluated to
significantly reduce administrative costs and reflects China’s confidence in
the management system and compliance of exporting businesses.

Additionally,
Decree No. 280 adds a “list-based registration” mechanism for
countries that have signed bilateral cooperation agreements on food safety with
China. In this case, businesses only need to be on the recognized list instead
of submitting individual applications. This approach helps shorten review
times, encourages countries to promote mutual recognition negotiations in the
fields of quarantine and food safety, and contributes to increased transparency
and stability in agricultural trade.

Vneconomy-Chu Minh Khôi