China is one of the world’s largest import destinations, and businesses across the globe aim to enter this expanding market. However, exporting food products, agricultural items, and certain regulated goods to China requires compliance with the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC). GACC Registration is a mandatory process that allows overseas manufacturers, processors, and exporters to legally ship their products into China while meeting its safety and quality requirements.

GACC plays a crucial role in maintaining China’s food safety system and import standards. As per China’s Decree 248 and Decree 249, foreign manufacturers dealing in food categories must register with GACC before exporting. The registration ensures transparency, traceability, and accountability across supply chains, reducing the risk of contamination, mislabeling, and unsafe products entering the Chinese market.

Why GACC Registration Is Required?

GACC Registration is essential because it validates that the exporting company follows all mandatory safety, hygiene, and processing standards. It gives Chinese authorities access to production details, facility information, product categories, and operational controls. This helps China verify that imported goods meet their regulatory norms.

Products like dairy items, meat, seafood, grains, oils, packaged foods, beverages, bakery items, spices, and various agricultural goods fall under categories that require mandatory registration. Even certain low-risk food categories need filing on the CIFER (China Import Food Enterprise Registration) system, which is maintained by GACC.

Documents Required for GACC Registration

To obtain GACC registration, companies need to submit several key documents, including:

• Business license or incorporation certificate

• Production facility details

• Food safety certifications (HACCP, ISO, GMP, etc.)

• Product composition and category details

• Packaging and labeling information

• Export history or processing records (if applicable)

• A declaration confirming compliance with Chinese standards

Depending on the product category, additional documents such as process flowcharts, sanitation control plans, and test reports may also be required.

The Registration Process

The GACC registration process is performed through the CIFER portal. It typically includes five major steps:

1. Category Identification: Determining whether the product requires full registration or simple filing.

2. Document Preparation: Compiling all required documents based on the product category.

3. Portal Application: Creating an account and submitting the application on CIFER.

4. Authority Review: GACC reviews the documents, requests corrections if needed, and may conduct remote or onsite inspections for high-risk products.

5. Approval & Renewal: Once approved, the company receives a registration number which must be printed on export packaging. Renewals are required every five years or earlier if the information changes.

How Agile Regulatory Helps

Agile Regulatory provides complete assistance for GACC Registration, helping exporters, manufacturers, and food processing units navigate the complex CIFER system confidently. The team handles category assessment, documentation, portal filing, compliance review, corrective submissions, and registration follow-ups. With expertise across multiple food categories and China’s import requirements, Agile Regulatory ensures a smooth, timely, and error-free registration process. Businesses looking to expand into the Chinese market rely on Agile Regulatory for end-to-end guidance and professional support.