A total of 1,623 Myanmar food processing companies and factories submitted 3,295 applications to the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) over the past one and a half years, according to the Domestic Trade Division (GACC team) of Myanmar Trade Promotion Organization under the Ministry of Commerce.

According to GACC Decree 248 and 249, GACC registration is mandatory for food exporters starting from 1 January 2022.

Those individuals executing edible oil, oilseeds, stuffed pastry products, edible bird’s nest and related products, edible grains, grains milling industrial products and malt, fresh and dehydrated vegetables, dried beans, plant species, nuts and seeds, dried fruits, unroasted coffee and cocoa bean, special dietary food excluding milk-based formula, functional foods, bee products, aquatic products including farm products, animal products and animal feed and livestock animal businesses need to apply for GACC licence to place their goods in China’s market.

Relevant authorities for the registration with GACC are the Agriculture Department, the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department, the Fisheries Department, and the Food and Drug Administration.

Exporters can directly access China International Trade Single Window through https://cifer.singlewindow.cn by creating accounts for those food groups that are not listed in the aforementioned 18 groups.

Between 1 December 2021 and 4 October 2024, 3,295 applications by 1,623 factories have been forwarded to the GACC through the Agriculture Department (3,132 applications), the Fisheries Department (140), the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department (14) and the Food and Drug Administration Department (nine).

Regarding the registration of the importing companies, the Department of Animal and Plant Quarantine under the GACC will check quarantine access for the imported grains (unroasted coffee beans, cocoa beans, fresh and dehydrated vegetables, plant seasonings (plant spices), edible grain, dried beans, oil seeds (oil plant) and herbal animal products and plant for their origins.

Companies cannot directly proceed with registration, and they need to carry out this step through competent authorities and departments concerned by sending an email to dapq@customs.gov.cn or submitting a letter to the Chinese Embassy to Myanmar or the Myanmar Embassy to China.

As of 7 October 2024, a total of 1,067 applications have been successful in registering with the GACC with the approval of the competent authority. Additionally, a manual registration list of overseas manufacturers of imported foods with the GACC as of 25 September 2024 has been uploaded on http://dzs.customs.gov.cn/. Individuals can enquire further information through the contact numbers of the Myanmar Trade Promotion Organization at 067 3408605, 067 3408617 and email: myantrade.domestic@gmail.com.

NN/KK

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