According to the Import-Export Department under the MoIT, China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC) is tightening implementation of Decree 280, officially known as the Regulation on Registration Administration of Overseas Production Enterprises of Imported Foods, which is scheduled to take effect on June 1, 2026.

Vietnamese exporters shipping food products to China will then face significantly stricter food safety and registration requirements if they want to maintain market access.

The Import-Export Department said that under the latest guidance from GACC, 17 out of 18 categories of imported food products must now complete registration procedures through official recommendation letters issued by competent authorities in the exporting country.

This means Vietnamese businesses will no longer be able to independently apply for export registration codes for many product groups as they did previously. Instead, companies must undergo review, verification, and assessment procedures conducted by relevant domestic authorities.

Frozen fruit products are currently the only category exempt from the recommendation-letter requirement, except for products subject to separate bilateral protocol conditions.

According to Vietnamese authorities, Chinese customs agencies will evaluate businesses based on several criteria, including food safety risk levels; rates of non-compliant shipments; history of violations or food safety incidents; and the compliance with international management standards.

China is also expected to tighten renewal procedures for enterprise registration codes, particularly for products classified as high risk. Products such as meat and meat products, bird’s nests, and edible bird’s nest products are categorised as high-risk goods and will therefore require manual inspection and review during registration renewal procedures.

The Import-Export Department also warned exporters to pay close attention to technical standards and food safety risks currently under intensified scrutiny by China.

For bird’s nest products, Chinese authorities are increasing inspections related to nitrite levels, aluminum content, and disease risks. Rice exports may face stricter checks regarding heavy metal residues such as cadmium, harmful organisms, and genetically modified elements.

Meanwhile, seafood products could be subject to rigorous inspections covering veterinary drug residues, pesticide residues, microorganisms, parasites, excessive contaminants, and labeling compliance.

Other product categories including dried vegetables, seasoning powders, vegetable oils, and dairy products are also facing enhanced supervision over additives, pathogenic microorganisms, acid indicators, peroxide values, and disease transmission risks.

Amid China’s tightening import standards, the Import-Export Department urged Vietnamese enterprises to proactively review their entire production, processing, preservation, and traceability systems in order to comply with increasingly strict market requirements.

Businesses were also advised to coordinate closely with specialised regulatory agencies to complete registration documents, update enterprise information, and promptly respond to requests from GACC to avoid export disruptions.

According to industry experts, China’s stricter food import management not only increases compliance pressure on Vietnamese exporters but also reflects a broader global trend in which major markets are placing greater emphasis on product quality, food safety, and traceability in agricultural and food trade.

SPS changes become new test for Vietnam’s agricultural exports

VOV.VN - As exports continue to serve as a major driver of Vietnam’s economy, increasingly strict international regulations on food safety and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures are placing mounting pressure on Vietnamese agricultural exporters.