Exporting dairy products to China is a complicated and long process. According to Chinese laws and regulations, dairy products can be exported to China only after a protocol is signed with the government of the exporting country. Therefore, before any planning, dairy exporters should ensure that a protocol is in place between their country and China. All EU Member States except Malta and Romania have done so.

If there is a protocol in place, each individual production establishment must also register on China’s GACC platform, following the procedure for “high-risk products”, i.e. through recommendation from competent authorities in the country/region where they are located (see corresponding FAQ above). In short, the production establishment contacts its national competent authority, which in turn verifies the establishment’s compliance with China’s food safety requirements, and release a username and password to login on GACC’s Single Window platform. The establishment will then complete the registration on the platform by submitting all the relevant documentation and information required. GACC will then conduct a substantive technical review, including document examination, video checking, on-site reviewing, or a combination of these. If the assessment and examination results are positive, GACC will issue the registration number and notify the competent authority in the country where the establishment is based. The whole registration process is relatively complicated and long.

The updated list of approved producers for dairy exports to China is provided (in Chinese) on the website of Chinese customs: http://jckspj.customs.gov.cn/spj/zwgk75/2706880/2811812/jkrpjwscqyzcmd3/index.html, including for individual European countries authorised to export.