The department has received a request from China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) for names and addresses of manufacturing establishments to be printed on health certificates signed from 15 June 2014. The department intends to implement this requirement through its electronic export documentation system (EXDOC) prior to this deadline.

Exporters should be aware that Chinese officials will be checking that information on health certificates signed from 15 June matches information the CNCA list, and product with inconsistent information will not qualify for entry into China. Note: To prevent confusion, manufacturers that export dairy products may choose to amend their exporter details to reflect the address of their manufacturing establishment.

To ensure that there are no impacts on trade, those involved in the export of dairy products to China should check the accuracy of information on Australia’s general dairy list on the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA) website – http://www.cnca.gov.cn/ywzl/gjgnhz/jkzl/imports-list/dairy/Australia.pdf.

The Department of Agriculture provided registration numbers, names and addresses of manufacturing establishments on its official establishment register as of 4 April 2014 to CNCA. The Department of Agriculture provided an update of this list as at the end of May 2014, but intends to send another update in the next two weeks. Any requested amendments to this list must be provided to the department through the generic email address: dairy@agriculture.gov.au by Wednesday 11 June 2014. Note: The product types listed in the column ‘Products for approval’ reflect Chinese product categories, rather than the categories used in Australia.

AQSIQ has informed the department that the name and address of the manufacturer of the dairy product will need to be included on product labels. As amendments to label information involves complex operational arrangements between commercial parties and approval processes, the department is seeking further clarification and will provide an update on this requirement shortly.

The information provided above is current at the time of writing and is intended for use as guidance only and should not be taken as definitive or exhaustive. The Commonwealth endeavours to keep information current and accurate, however, it may be subject to change without notice. Exporters are encouraged to verify these details with their importers prior to undertaking production/exports. The Commonwealth will not accept liability for any loss resulting from reliance on information contained in this notice.

 For further information please visit http://www.daff.gov.au/biosecurity/export/dairy/din/2014/maa_2014-06