Exporting Fish and Shrimp to China in 2026: GACC Registration, Market Access and Labels
Since 1 June 2026, GACC Decree 280 governs registration of overseas food producers exporting to China, replacing Decree 248. Producers of aquatic products still need a recommendation from their own country's competent authority, register through GACC's CIFER system for five years (normally renewed automatically) and must mark the registration number on the packaging. Registration is not market access: chilled and frozen aquatic products also need the country and product to be on GACC's access list, each consignment needs the health certificate agreed between the two authorities, and labels must meet Chinese requirements.
FishMatch Group editorial team · Official sources read 25 October 2026 · published
Four separate checks: access, registration, certificate, label
Each check is confirmed by an official Chinese source listed below. FishMatch Group is a private commercial coordinator — not a government body, regulator, customs broker, inspector or certifier. Exporters and importers of record remain responsible for compliance.
| Check | Status | What it means for a buyer |
|---|---|---|
| Country–product access | Confirmed | GACC keeps a directory of foods from countries that passed assessment or have traditional trade. For aquatic products, quarantine access applies to chilled and frozen forms only. |
| Producer registration (Decree 280) | Confirmed | In force 1 June 2026, replacing Decree 248. Aquatic products are on the catalogue needing competent-authority recommendation; applications go through CIFER; validity five years with conditional automatic renewal. |
| Registration number on packaging | Confirmed | Registered producers must mark the China registration number, or the number approved by their competent authority, on the packaging (Decree 280, Art. 14). |
| Aquatic product markings | Confirmed | Inner and outer packaging must carry clear Chinese-and-English (or Chinese and origin-language) markings incl. common and scientific name, batch, production method and area, enterprise registration number and China as destination (Decree 249, Art. 30). |
| Health certificate | Confirmed per access protocol | Access announcements require a health certificate confirmed by both authorities for each consignment (e.g. GACC Announcements 2026 No. 43 and No. 98). Check your origin's protocol. |
| Chinese labels for prepackaged food | Confirmed | Importers must check Chinese labels comply with Chinese law and national standards; non-compliant products may not be imported (GACC Announcement 2019 No. 70). |
| GB 7718-2025 labelling standard | Partly verified | A Shenzhen regulator page states GB 7718-2025 applies from 16 March 2027; GB 7718-2011 applies until then. Confirm details with your importer. |
Step 1 — Confirm access for your country, species and form
Open GACC's directory of permitted foods, choose aquatic products and check the country, product category, product name, access status and remarks. Registration of a plant does not create access for a product that is not on the list.
- Country and species (and whether wild or farmed, where the protocol distinguishes them).
- Processing form: the directory states quarantine access applies only to chilled and frozen aquatic products; other forms must still meet Chinese law and national standards.
- Any suspension or remark on the entry.
Step 2 — Check the producer's GACC registration
Ask for the registration number and look it up in GACC's public CIFER query. The products permitted are those approved in the registration system.
- Registration recommended by the origin's competent authority (inspection report and recommendation letter).
- Registered product scope matches what you want to buy.
- Validity and renewal status; automatic renewal does not apply to producers under rectification or when country/product imports are suspended.
- Cold stores that store aquatic products for export to China are also in registration scope (GACC Announcement 2026 No. 27).
Step 3 — Certificates, labels and cold chain
Confirmed requirements first, then general guidance.
- Health certificate confirmed by both authorities for every consignment, printed at least in Chinese and English where the protocol says so.
- Packaging markings per Decree 249 Art. 30 and the registration number per Decree 280 Art. 14.
- Chinese labels reviewed by the importer before shipping.
- General guidance: frozen at –18 °C or colder at the thermal centre (Codex); chilled as close as possible to 0 °C (Codex); continuous temperature records.
Step 4 — Send one qualified RFQ
FishMatch is free for buyers and reviews annual or seasonal programmes of USD 250,000 or more. We check access, registration and certificate documents for the exact product, compare offers on one specification and introduce parties only after qualification.
What remains open
Not fully verified on 25 October 2026:
- Whether Decree 249 has been amended since 2022 — no replacement was found.
- Full GB 7718-2025 text and transition provisions.
- The exact certificate and attestations for your origin, species and form — read that country's current GACC announcement.
- Live aquatic animals follow a separate regime and are not covered here.
Frequently asked questions
Has GACC Decree 248 been replaced?
Yes. GACC Decree 280, promulgated on 14 October 2025, took effect on 1 June 2026 and repealed Decree 248 on registering overseas producers of imported food.
Do fish and shrimp producers still need a competent-authority recommendation to register in China?
Yes. Aquatic products are on the catalogue of foods whose overseas producers must be recommended by their country's competent authority (GACC Announcement 2026 No. 27).
How long is a GACC producer registration valid?
Five years. Under Decree 280 it normally renews automatically for five years, except in listed cases such as rectification or suspended imports.
Does GACC registration mean my product can enter China?
No. The country and product must also be on GACC's access list, and each consignment needs the agreed health certificate and compliant labels.
Which aquatic products need GACC quarantine access?
GACC's directory says quarantine access applies to chilled and frozen aquatic products; other processing forms must still meet Chinese law and national food-safety standards.
Official sources
- GACC Decree 280 — Registration of overseas producers of imported food, State Council Gazette (promulgated 14 Oct 2025, effective 1 Jun 2026) — Chinese
- GACC Announcement 2026 No. 27 — catalogue and implementation of Decree 280 (18 Mar 2026) — Chinese
- GACC Decree 249 — Administrative Measures on Import and Export Food Safety (effective 1 Jan 2022) — Chinese
- GACC Decree 248 (repealed 1 Jun 2026) — historical text — Chinese
- GACC online service guide: CIFER registration system — Chinese
- GACC CIFER public registration query
- GACC directory of foods permitted from assessed countries (aquatic products) — Chinese
- GACC Announcement 2026 No. 43 — Romanian wild aquatic products (15 Apr 2026), via MOFCOM — Chinese
- GACC Announcement 2019 No. 70 — Chinese labels of imported prepackaged food (22 Apr 2019) — Chinese
- Shenzhen Administration for Market Regulation: GB 7718-2025 effective 16 Mar 2027 (27 Aug 2025) — Chinese
- Codex CXC 52-2003 — Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products