On this page
- What Is GACC Registration?
- Why Does China Require Food Facility Registration?
- Who Must Register and Who Is Exempt?
- What Are the CIFER Registration Steps?
- What Are the Registration Requirements by Product Type?
- Which Labelling and Import Documents Does China Need?
- What Causes Delay or Rejection?
- How Do You Source Agro Commodities from India for China?
- Frequently asked questions
GACC registration is the registration that China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC) requires from every overseas factory, processing plant or storage facility that makes food for export to China. Without a valid registration number, food shipments cannot clear Chinese customs. Registration is done online in the China Import Food Enterprise Registration system, known as CIFER. The rules changed on 1 June 2026, when GACC Decree No. 280 replaced Decree No. 248. This guide explains who must register, how the process works and what it means for buyers of Indian agro commodities.
Key takeaways
- Overseas food manufacturers must hold a GACC registration number, applied for through CIFER, before their food can enter China.
- Decree No. 280 took effect on 1 June 2026 and replaced Decree No. 248. Registrations are valid for five years, and most now renew automatically.
- Higher-risk categories, such as nuts and seeds, dehydrated vegetables and seasonings, need a recommendation from the exporting country’s competent authority.
- Raw primary products such as grains, oilseeds and dried pulses moved out of CIFER into a separate plant-quarantine registration.
What Is GACC Registration?
GACC registration is China’s system for listing approved overseas food producers. The General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China controls food imports, and it keeps a register of foreign facilities that may supply food to the Chinese market. Each approved facility receives a registration number. That number must appear in the customs declaration for every shipment and on the product packaging.
The register is managed online through CIFER, the China Import Food Enterprise Registration platform. Registration is facility-based, not product-based. A trading company that does not make or store the food does not register in its own name. The plant that processes, packs or stores the food is the one that must register. GACC does not charge a fee for registration.
Since 1 June 2026, the rules are set by GACC Decree No. 280, published on 14 October 2025. It replaced Decree No. 248, which had applied since January 2022. China Briefing gives a useful summary of the changes.
Why Does China Require Food Facility Registration?
China requires registration so that it can trace every imported food back to a known, approved facility. If a shipment fails testing at the border, GACC can link the problem to one plant. It can then suspend that plant without stopping trade from a whole country.
The system also lets China rely on checks by the exporting country. For higher-risk foods, the exporting country’s food authority must confirm that the plant meets Chinese requirements before GACC accepts it. This is similar in purpose to the FDA food facility registration for the United States, although the Chinese process involves more review for higher-risk foods. For importers, the result is simple: only buy from a facility whose registration number you have checked.
Who Must Register and Who Is Exempt?
Every overseas facility that produces, processes or stores food exported to China as general trade cargo must register. This includes factories, packing plants and, under Decree No. 280, cold stores for animal and aquatic products.
Some groups are outside the scope of CIFER registration:
- Food additives and food packaging materials: these are not covered by the food facility register.
- Cross-border e-commerce retail parcels: treated as personal-use imports.
- Primary agricultural products: according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, fresh vegetables, grains and oilseeds, dried beans and pulses, and unroasted coffee and cocoa beans were removed from Decree No. 280. They now fall under a separate registration with GACC’s Department of Animal and Plant Quarantine.
An exemption from CIFER does not mean no registration at all. Raw plant products still need market access for that product from that country, a phytosanitary certificate and, where required, a registered packing or processing facility on the quarantine list.
What Are the CIFER Registration Steps?
The CIFER process has two routes. Which one applies depends on the product category.
- Confirm the category and HS code. Check whether your product is a listed higher-risk category, a general food or a primary product outside CIFER.
- Prepare the facility file. This usually covers the business licence, food safety management system, process flow, plant layout, product list and the local food licence. In India that is the FSSAI licence.
- For higher-risk categories, the exporting country’s competent authority reviews the facility and sends a recommendation to GACC.
- For other foods, the manufacturer applies directly in CIFER with its own account.
- GACC reviews the file. It may ask questions, request more documents or arrange a remote or on-site audit.
- Receive the registration number. Use it on packaging and give it to the Chinese importer for customs declarations.
Registrations are valid for five years. Under Decree No. 280 most categories renew automatically, provided the facility details stay correct. Meat products and bird’s nest products still need an active renewal 3 to 12 months before expiry. Facilities must update CIFER when their name, address or product range changes.
What Are the Registration Requirements by Product Type?
The table summarises how common Indian agro exports are treated. Always confirm the exact HS code and current list with your Chinese importer before you ship.
| Product type | Examples from India | Registration route |
|---|---|---|
| Nuts and seeds | Roasted or processed peanuts, sesame seed products | CIFER, with competent authority recommendation |
| Dehydrated vegetables | Dehydrated onion and garlic flakes, powder | CIFER, with competent authority recommendation |
| Seasonings and seasoning powders | Spice powders and blends | CIFER, with competent authority recommendation |
| Grain milling products | Wheat flour, corn flour, corn grits | CIFER, with competent authority recommendation |
| Dried fruits | Dried fruit pieces | CIFER, with competent authority recommendation |
| Other processed foods | Peanut butter, roasted chickpeas, snack foods | CIFER, direct application (confirm category) |
| Grains, oilseeds, dried pulses | Raw groundnut kernels, raw sesame, moong, chickpeas | Plant-quarantine registration (outside CIFER) and market access |
| Feed ingredients | Rapeseed meal, soybean meal | Separate GACC feed facility registration |
Based on the 17 recommended categories listed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for Decree No. 280. Classification of a specific product depends on its HS code.
Our HS code finder helps you match a product to its code before you check the category.
Which Labelling and Import Documents Does China Need?
Pre-packaged food for China needs a Chinese-language label that meets the national labelling standard GB 7718. The label normally shows the product name, ingredients, net content, production date, shelf life, storage conditions, country of origin and the name and address of the Chinese importer or agent. The facility registration number must also appear on the packaging. Decree No. 280 allows either the Chinese registration number or the number approved by the exporting country’s authority.
A typical shipment of Indian agro products to China carries these documents:
- Commercial invoice and packing list
- Bill of lading
- Phytosanitary certificate for plant products
- Certificate of origin. India and China are both members of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement, so ask whether a preferential certificate helps your duty rate.
- Certificate of analysis for the agreed food safety tests
- Fumigation certificate where required
From 1 June 2026, the Chinese importer’s customs declaration must also include the facility registration number and state that the goods are for human consumption.
What Causes Delay or Rejection?
Most delays come from mismatches between the paperwork, the label and the registration record. The common causes are:
- No registration, or the wrong facility: the number belongs to a different plant or does not cover that product category.
- Out-of-date records: the company name, address or product list in CIFER does not match the invoice.
- Label errors: missing Chinese label, wrong registration number or incomplete importer details.
- Test failures: pesticide residues, mycotoxins such as aflatoxin, microbiology or foreign matter above Chinese limits.
- No market access: the plant product has no agreed quarantine protocol between India and China.
- Incomplete application: missing documents or slow answers to GACC questions during review.
Pre-shipment testing is the best protection. Our lab testing page explains how lots are checked before loading.
Related reading: FDA Prior Notice: How to Import Food into the USA and Indonesia Food Import Requirements: Vietnam and Malaysia Compared.
How Do You Source Agro Commodities from India for China?
China is already a major buyer of Indian agro products. It was the largest buyer of Indian spices in 2025-26 and is a leading market for Indian groundnuts and rapeseed meal. Before you place an order, ask your Indian supplier three questions. Is the product inside CIFER, under plant-quarantine registration, or under feed registration? Is the facility registered for your product category? Can the supplier show the registration number and a recent lot test report?
At Elysium Agri, we hold an IEC, APEDA RCMC, FSSAI Central Licence and Spices Board CRES, listed on our certificates page. We will confirm the GACC route and the registered facility for your product before we quote, and we test every lot to your specification. Our team can also prepare the Chinese label artwork your importer supplies under our private label service.
If you plan food exports to China and need help with GACC registration questions, send us your product, grade, quantity and Chinese port.
Request a China shipment quote →
Frequently asked questions
What is GACC registration for food exporters?
GACC registration is the listing of an overseas food facility with China's General Administration of Customs. Each approved plant receives a registration number that must appear on the packaging and in the customs declaration. Food from an unregistered facility cannot clear Chinese customs. Applications are made online through the CIFER platform, and GACC charges no fee.
Who needs to register with GACC to export food to China?
Any overseas facility that produces, processes or stores food sent to China as general trade cargo must register. Traders that do not handle the food do not register in their own name; the plant does. Food additives, packaging materials, cross-border e-commerce parcels and certain raw primary agricultural products are outside the CIFER food facility register.
What is CIFER and how is it used?
CIFER is the China Import Food Enterprise Registration system, GACC's online platform at cifer.singlewindow.cn. Manufacturers use it to apply for registration, upload facility documents, answer GACC questions and update their details. For higher-risk categories, the exporting country's competent authority submits a recommendation through it. Registrations are valid for five years, and most now renew automatically.
Which food categories need facility registration for China?
All foods in scope need registration. Seventeen higher-risk categories also need a competent authority recommendation. These include meat, aquatic products, dairy, eggs, edible oils, grain milling products, dehydrated vegetables, seasoning powders, nuts and seeds, dried fruits, bee products, special dietary foods and health foods. Other processed foods apply directly in CIFER.
Do Indian agro exporters need GACC registration for pulses and seeds?
Since 1 June 2026, raw grains, oilseeds and dried pulses sit outside CIFER and fall under GACC's separate plant-quarantine registration, with market access needed for each product. Processed nuts and seeds, seasonings and dehydrated vegetables still need CIFER registration with a recommendation. Confirm the route for your exact HS code with your Chinese importer.
Related reads
