I. Articles Prohibited from Import

1. According to the List of the People’s Republic of China of Articles Prohibited from Import and Export, the following articles are prohibited from import:

1.1 Arms, imitation arms, ammunition and explosives of all kinds;

1.2 Counterfeit currencies and counterfeit negotiable securities;

1.3 Printed matters, films, photographs, discs, movies, sound recording tapes, video recording tapes, laser discs, computer storage media, and other articles that are detrimental to the political, economic, cultural and moral interests of China;

1.4 Deadly poison of all kinds;

1.5 Opium, morphine, heroin, marijuana and other addictive drugs and psychotropic substances;

1.6 Animals, plants and their by-products with hazardous germs or pests;

1.7 Foodstuff, medicine and other articles coming from epidemic stricken area or harmful to man and livestock or those that might spread disease.

2. According to Article 5 of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine, the following objects are prohibited from entering the country:

2.1 Pathogenic micro-organisms (including seed cultures of bacteria and viruses) of animals and plants, insect pests and other harmful organisms;

2.2 Relevant animals and plants, their products and other quarantine objects from countries or regions with prevalent epidemic animal or plant diseases;

2.3 Animal carcasses;

2.4 Soil.

3. According to the Catalog of Animals and Plants, Animal and Plant Products, and Other Quarantine Objects Prohibited from Being Carried, Mailed, or Delivered into the People’s Republic of China[1]:

3.1 List of animals and animal products prohibited from being carried, mailed, or delivered into the country:

3.1.1 Live animals (except dogs and cats[2]), including all mammals, birds, fish, crustaceans, amphibians, reptiles, insects and other invertebrates, and animal genetic materials;

3.1.2 Meat (raw or cooked), including offal, and its products;

3.1.3 Aquatic animal products, except dried, cooked, or fermented edible sauces made from aquatic animals;

3.1.4 Milk and dairy products of animal origin, including raw milk, pasteurized milk, sterilized milk, flavored milk, fermented milk, cream, butter, cheese, condensed milk, and similar products;

3.1.5 Eggs and egg products, including fresh eggs, preserved eggs, salted eggs, liquid eggs, eggshells, and mayonnaise;

3.1.6 Bird’s nest, except canned bird’s nest that has been commercially sterilized;

3.1.7 Oils and fats; hides and skins; raw wool; hooves or claws; bones; teeth; horns and their products. Exceptions: Processed handicrafts made from eggshells, hooves or claws, bones or horns, shells, or crustaceans that are clean and free of blood, muscle, and fat;

3.1.8 Animal-derived feed, animal-derived traditional Chinese medicinal materials, and animal-derived fertilizers.

3.2 List of plants and plant products prohibited from being carried, mailed, or delivered into the country:

3.2.1 Fresh fruits and vegetables;

3.2.2 Fresh cut flowers;

3.2.3 Tobacco leaves;

3.2.4 Seeds, seedlings, and other plants, plant products, or materials capable of reproduction.

3.3 List of other quarantine objects prohibited from being carried, mailed, or delivered into the country:

3.3.1 Microbial strains, viral strains, parasites and other animal and plant pathogens, pests and other harmful organisms, veterinary biological products, cells, organs and tissues, blood and blood products and other biological materials, and other high-risk biological agents;

3.3.2 Animal carcasses, animal specimens and animal-derived waste;

3.3.3 Soil and organic growing media;

3.3.4 Genetically modified biomaterials;

3.3.5 Other animals, plants and their products and other quarantine objects prohibited from entering China.

Notes:

1. The animals and plants, animal and plant products, and other quarantine objects carried, mailed, or delivered into the country, approved by the relevant national administrative departments, with the quarantine certificate issued by competent authorities of the exporting country or region, are not affected by the catalog.

2. One person is allowed to carry or transport only one dog or cat with animal quarantine certificate and vaccination certificate issued by competent authorities of the exporting country or region. Specific quarantine requirements shall be implemented in accordance with relevant regulations.

3. Where other laws, administrative regulations, or departmental rules provide otherwise, such provisions shall prevail.

II. Articles Restricted from Import

1. According to the List of the People’s Republic of China of Articles Prohibited from Import and Export, the following articles are restricted from import:

1.1 Wireless transceivers and communication privacy machines;

1.2 Cigarettes and alcohol;

1.3 Endangered and rare animals and plants (including specimens) and relevant seeds and breeding materials;

1.4 National currencies;

1.5 Other articles restricted from import by customs.

2. According to the Provisions of the Customs of the People’s Republic of China on the Administration of Health and Quarantine for Special Goods and Articles Entering and Exiting China:

Special goods and items related to public health and safety, such as blood and other human tissues, pathogenic microorganisms, biological products, etc. (excluding those included in the management of drugs, veterinary drugs, and medical devices), shall implement health and quarantine approval, quarantine inspection, and supervision and regulation based on risk assessment and in accordance with different risk levels.

III. Health and Quarantine Measures

1. Health and Quarantine for Persons

Persons entering the country shall be subject to temperature screening, medical inspection and other health and quarantine measures specified by Customs. Persons who suffer from fever or other symptoms shall proactively carry out the health declaration. Persons coming from countries or regions with risk for yellow fever virus transmission must present an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP). Individuals identified with fever or other health risks during quarantine inspection by Customs shall cooperate with further infectious disease monitoring and related procedures.

2. Health and Quarantine of Inbound Aircraft

The person in charge of an inbound aircraft or the person’s authorized agent shall declare to Customs and complete the inbound quarantine formalities 30 minutes before the aircraft enters the country, and shall declare to Customs and complete the outbound quarantine formalities 30 minutes before the aircraft doors are closed. Customs shall review the declaration materials, assess quarantine risks, determine the appropriate quarantine measures, and conduct inspections. 

3. Entry of Corpus and Human Remains

A consignor or the consignor’s agent for the transportation of a corpse or human remains into the country must declare the matter to  Customs; transport thereof, shall not be allowed until sanitary inspection proves satisfactory. The corpse of anyone who died from a quarantinable infectious disease must be cremated at a nearby place.

4. Special Goods and Articles Related to Public Health and Safety

Persons bringing into the country special goods and articles related to public health and safety, such as blood and other human tissues, pathogenic microorganisms, and biological products, shall obtain the required approval document and undergo sanitary quarantine inspection in accordance with the relevant provisions. Where such special goods or articles are brought into the country without the required approval document, Customs shall withhold their release and issue relevant documentation. After the person concerned obtains the approval document for the special goods and articles within seven days, Customs shall carry out quarantine inspection in accordance with the relevant provisions, and release the goods and articles upon passing the quarantine inspection.

IV. Regulations Regarding Pets Entering China

Live animals brought into China shall only be limited to one dog or one cat (hereinafter referred to as pets) for each person per entry. Those who bring pets into China must provide customs with valid quarantine and rabies vaccination certificates issued by the official animal quarantine authorities in the exiting countries or regions. Pets shall have electronic chips.

Pets brought into China shall be quarantined for 30 days in the area designated for isolation by customs (including the withholding period). Pets that require isolation and quarantine shall enter from a port with isolation and quarantine facilities. Customs supervises and inspects the isolation and quarantine of pets. Customs implements classified management of entry for pets from designated and non-designated countries or regions. Pets that meet one of the following conditions may be exempt from quarantine:

1.Pets from designated countries or regions that have valid electronic chips and pass on-site quarantine;

2.Pets from non-designated countries or regions that have effective electronic chips and rabies antibody test reports issued by GACC-designated laboratories (antibody titer or immune antibody must be above 0.5 IU/ml), and pass on-site quarantine;

3. Pets acting as guide dogs, hearing dogs, or search and rescue dogs that have valid electronic chips as well as relevant user certificates and professional training certificates provided by the pet carrier, and that pass on-site quarantine.

The lists of designated countries or regions, GACC-designated rabies antibody test results laboratories, and ports with isolation and quarantine facilities are subject to announcements from GACC.

For the specific document, please refer to the Announcement [2019] No. 5 of GACC on Further Regulations Regarding the Quarantine and Supervision of Pets Entering China (http://www.customs.gov.cn/customs/2019-01/14/article_2025121221010531103.html).

For the latest list of GACC-designated laboratories, please refer to the Update on the List of Laboratories Accepting Rabies Antibody Test Results for Pets Entering China released by the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) Department of Animal and Plant Quarantine on its official website.

V. Articles Prohibited from Export

According to the List of the People’s Republic of China of Articles Prohibited from Import and Export, the following articles are prohibited from export:

1. All articles enumerated as articles prohibited from import;

2. Manuscripts, printed matters, films, photographs, discs, movies, sound recording tapes, video recording tapes, laser discs, computer storage media and other articles, of which the contents involve state secrets;

3. Valuable cultural relics and other relics prohibited from export;

4. Endangered and precious rare animals and plants (including their specimens), their seeds and reproducing materials.

VI. Articles Restricted from Export

1. According to the List of the People’s Republic of China of Articles Restricted from Import and Export, the following articles are restricted from export:

1.1 Gold and silver and other precious metals and their products;

1.2 National currency;

1.3 Foreign currency and negotiable securities;

1.4 Radio transceiver and communications secrecy machine;

1.5 Precious Chinese herbal medicine;

1.6 General relics;

1.7 Other articles that are restricted from exiting the country by Customs.

2. According to the Provisions of the Customs of the People’s Republic of China on the Administration of Health and Quarantine for Special Goods and Articles Entering and Exiting China:

Special goods and items related to public health and safety, such as blood and other human tissues, pathogenic microorganisms, biological products, etc. (excluding those included in the management of drugs, veterinary drugs, and medical devices), shall implement health and quarantine approval, quarantine inspection, and supervision and regulation based on risk assessment and in accordance with different risk levels.

VII. Provisions on Specific Articles

Inbound and outbound animals, plants, and their products shall comply with the provisions of laws and regulations such as the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine and its implementing regulations, the Biosecurity Law of the People’s Republic of China, the Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China, the Seed Law of the People’s Republic of China, the Regulations on Administration of Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) Safety, as well as the requirements of bilateral agreements and international standards.

A consignor or the consignor’s agent for the transportation of a corpse or human remains into the country must declare the matter to  Customs; transport thereof, shall not be allowed until sanitary inspection proves satisfactory. The corpse of anyone who died from a quarantinable infectious disease must be cremated at a nearby place.

(All information is authentic in Chinese. English is provided for reference only. In case of any discrepancy, the Chinese version shall prevail.)