People’s Republic of China

• Labeling Requirements
• Required Documents
• Licensing
• Import Procedures
• Taxes/Tariffs
• Contacts

LABELING REQUIREMENTS

The following information must be present on the label, in Chinese.  Please note that the label must be approved and registered by the Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) before printing and placing on the product.

• Name/brand of product

• Ingredients list (Sweeteners, preservatives and added color – legal in the case of fortified wine only – must be declared)

• Net volume (ml): This should be marked as ‘net content xxx Ml (ml)’ for bottle sizes under a liter, or ‘net content x Liters (l)’ for bottle sizes over a liter. For packages up to (and including 200ml) the minimum print height is 3mm.  From 200ml up to and including 1 liter, the minimum print height is 4mm.  For packages greater than 1 liter the minimum print height is 6mm.

• Alcohol content (%): The alcohol statement should be in the ‘Alcoholic strength xx.x% vol’ format.

• Production date (yy/mm/dd): The date of bottling is required on Chinese labels.

• Producer/Distributor/Importer (Name and address): The name and address of the Chinese agent, importer or distributor must be shown on the label. The name and address of the producer is not mandatory, however if included does not need to be translated into Chinese characters

• Country of origin: A country of origin statement is mandatory. Importers will usually request a Certificate of Origin to confirm this claim.

• Minimum durability date: Wines with an alcohol content of 10% or less are required to include a minimum durability date.

• Product Type: (i.e. Grape Wine, ‘red’, ‘white’, ‘sparkling’, ‘semi-sparkling, ‘fortified’, ‘sweetened fortified’, etc.)

• Must content (%)

• Sugar content (g/L)

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REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

• Commercial invoice
• Customs Value Declaration
• Freight Insurance/documents
• Packing List
• Certificate of Origin
• Insurance certificate
• Health Certificate (Sanitary Certificate)

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LICENSING

Importers must obtain a wine import license, which is issued by the local provincial Wine License Bureau.

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IMPORT PROCEDURES

Note: There are various U.S. agencies in China which provide those interested in exporting to the Chinese market with useful country information.  The Agricultural Trade Office/Shanghai, one of four FAS offices located in China, provides market information, market development support and a wide variety of activities designed to strengthen distribution channels for U.S. agricultural products (e.g. wine).  ATOs are a good place for those interested in the China market to seek in-market advice.  Please refer to the Contacts section if you are interested in reaching any of these offices.

When a shipment arrives at a Chinese port, the consignor or its agent should first declare to the local inspection and quarantine authority (CIQ). CIQ officials will conduct on-site inspection and take samples from each shipment for health safety measures.  Beverage alcohol imported in bottles must bear Chinese labels which comply with the relevant Chinese legislation and standards.  After this inspection takes place, a note will be issued by CIQ and the commodities will be released after passing the inspection.

Imported alcoholic products must have a health certificate issued by the country of origin.

The Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) is the competent authority in charge of permits and licensing for imported alcoholic products.  An announcement issued on December 10, 2006, however, indicated that beverage alcohol-specific import permits would not be required in 2007.  Any duly-licensed importer/exporter can import such products without the need to apply for an additional permit or license.

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TAXES/TARIFFS

For the most current tariffs and taxes applied to imported products for this country, please visit the Online Tariff Database provided by Tariffic at: http://www.tariffic.com/ITA/, and click on “On-The-Fly Tariffeed”.  Please ensure you have a 10-digit HS classification code in order to obtain tariff information.  Also see the Census Bureau’s Schedule B search function (http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/schedules/b/index.html), which allows you to classify your product according to United States export codes. Simply click "Search" and enter the keyword (i.e. beer) that best describes your product.

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CONTACTS

Most of the information in this guide was obtained from direct contact with various governmental organizations and embassies, as well as online sources.  The FAS Attaché reports at: http://www.fas.usda.gov/scriptsw/attacherep/default.asp served as the primary (online) sources used for this report.

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