China Enforces New Rules for Imported Food Starting June 1

China will impose new rules for the supervision of imported food starting June 1, 2026. This rule regulates the registration of foreign manufacturers who export food products to the Chinese market.

Citing a report by China Daily, Tuesday, April 7, the China General Administration of Customs (GAC) will implement a dynamic management system. Through this system, the government will determine which imported food products must obtain official recommendations for registration, which products cannot obtain automatic extensions, and which overseas food storage companies must also register.

The determination will be based on a number of factors, such as the origin of raw materials, production and processing techniques, food safety history, target consumer groups, and how the product is consumed. International practices will also be considered.

The validity of the registration is five years. After it expires, the permit will be automatically extended for the next five years, unless otherwise specified.

GAC said that this revision of the rules aims to strengthen the supervision of imported food safety while making it easier to trade imported food. The current rules have been implemented since January 1, 2022 as part of supervision at the source of origin and import food risk management.

Still referring to the China Daily report, during the more than four years of implementation, more than 96,000 food companies from 178 countries and regions have been registered in China. In that period, China's import food trade value also rose from 1.05 trillion yuan in 2020 to 1.32 trillion yuan in 2025. Products from various countries, such as Norwegian salmon and frozen fruit from New Zealand, have entered the Chinese market.

GAC official Li Jinsong said the surge in registration applications from foreign food producers made the existing management system needed to be further improved. However, he emphasized that this new rule was still being drafted in line with the existing system.

This means that the import of food trade from foreign companies that have been registered in China is said to be unaffected. According to GAC, companies that have entered the system will actually get greater ease under the revised rules.

For food exporters targeting the Chinese market, this change should be noted because it concerns access, continuation of permits, and surveillance standards that will be more stringent.