GENERAL ADMINISTRATION OF CUSTOMS OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
ANNOUNCEMENT
No. 68 of 2026
In accordance with relevant Chinese laws and regulations and following risk assessment, imports of coffee beans from African countries having diplomatic relations with China are permitted provided the following requirements are met.
I. Inspection and Quarantine Basis
(1) Biosecurity Law of the People's Republic of China;
(2) Law of the People's Republic of China on the Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine and its implementing regulations;
(3) Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China and its implementing regulations.
II. Commodity Permitted for Entry
“Coffee Beans” means unroasted, hulled seeds of Coffea L. grown and processed in the exporting country, from which the outer skin, pulp, endocarp and silverskin have been removed and which have undergone drying, screening and other processes.
III. Origin
African countries having diplomatic relations with China.
IV. Establishment Registration
Production and processing establishments shall be reviewed by the competent authority of the exporting country (the “exporting-country authority”) and approved and registered by GACC (the “Chinese side”). Registration information shall include name, address and registration number to ensure traceability. Before trade begins, the exporting-country authority shall provide the registration list to China. Following approval, China shall publish the list on the GACC website.
V. Quarantine Pests of Concern to China
1. Hypothenemus hampei
2. Prostephanus truncatus
3. Nectria rigidiuscula
4. Colletotrichum kahawae
VI. Pre-export Management
(1) Plantation management. Plantations shall, under official supervision, establish sound quality and traceability systems, implement Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), maintain sanitary growing conditions and implement IPM including monitoring, physical, chemical or biological control and agricultural measures. Monitoring and control of pests of concern shall be conducted under trained professional technical personnel. Records shall be retained for at least two years and provided to China upon request. Records shall include monitoring dates, pest names, control measures and details of chemicals used, including date, active ingredient and concentration. Pesticides prohibited by China shall not be used.
(2) Processing management. Establishments shall maintain traceability to plantations. Processing, packaging, storage and loading shall be conducted under official or authorized quarantine supervision in relatively independent, rationally laid out, clean and hygienic areas with hardened floors and separation from living areas. Manual sorting, screening, cleaning and impurity removal shall ensure absence of moldy or insect-damaged beans, live insects, eggs, soil, weed seeds, plant residues, gravel and other foreign matter.
(3) Packaging. Raw and finished coffee beans shall be stored separately. Packaging shall be new, clean, sanitary and compliant with Chinese phytosanitary requirements. Wood packaging shall comply with ISPM 15. Each package shall bear in Chinese or English the product name, country, origin, establishment name and registration number. Each packing case and pallet shall be marked “Exported to the People's Republic of China.” Conveyances or containers shall be inspected for sanitary condition at loading, sealed, and arrive at the Chinese port with seals intact.
(4) Pre-export inspection and quarantine. The exporting-country authority shall inspect and quarantine coffee beans before export. During the first two years of trade, at least 2% of each consignment shall be sampled; if no phytosanitary problems occur during those two years, the sampling rate may be adjusted to not less than 1%. If quarantine pests of concern, plant residues or soil are detected, the entire consignment shall not be exported. The authority shall investigate the cause, take corrective measures and retain interception records for provision to China upon request.
(5) Phytosanitary certificate. For compliant coffee beans, the exporting-country authority shall issue a phytosanitary certificate stating the establishment name or registration number and the additional declaration: “This consignment complies with Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Coffee Bean from Africa to China, and is free from quarantine pests of concern to China.” Where live pests are found, fumigation or other treatment shall be conducted before export and the treatment method, chemical, dosage, time and temperature shall be stated on the certificate. Before trade begins, the exporting-country authority shall provide a specimen phytosanitary certificate to China for confirmation and record.
VII. Entry Inspection, Quarantine and Handling of Non-compliance
Upon arrival, China Customs shall verify the authenticity and validity of the phytosanitary certificate and whether package and pallet markings comply with Section VI(3), and shall conduct inspection and quarantine.
Consignments from unregistered establishments or without a valid phytosanitary certificate shall be returned or destroyed. If live quarantine pests of concern or other quarantine pests, plant residues or soil are detected, the consignment shall be returned, destroyed or treated. Products failing Chinese food safety laws, regulations or national standards shall be returned or destroyed. Other violations of Chinese entry quarantine requirements shall be handled according to law.
China shall immediately notify the exporting-country authority and may suspend imports from the relevant establishment. The exporting-country authority shall investigate and take corrective measures. China will decide whether to lift the suspension based on the rectification results.
VIII. Other Requirements
Coffee beans from Ethiopia and Burundi have already obtained quarantine access to China. Their import phytosanitary requirements shall continue to be implemented in accordance with GACC Announcements No. 142 of 2023 and No. 117 of 2024, respectively.
This Announcement shall enter into force on July 20, 2026.
It is hereby announced.
General Administration of Customs
May 20, 2026
Unofficial Translation. For reference only. Please kindly understand.
非官方翻译，请理解。
