11.7.3 China (People's Republic of China)

11.7.3.1 General information

Protocols of understanding for conditions applicable to poultry meat, beef and pork have been established between Canada and China.

Exporters should be aware that, as part of their import inspection procedures, the Chinese authorities could test shipments for the presence of pathogens, parasites, heavy metals, pesticide and veterinary drug residue and other toxic and harmful substances. According to the Chinese law, shipments that are found positive will either be returned to the country of origin or destroyed. Import privileges of affected establishments will be suspended.

China has specific labelling requirements. The operator/exporter bear full responsibility to ensure that applicable labelling requirements are met (including accurate translation). Available details are provided in Annex B for information only. All concerned should also be aware that information in Annex B can be modified without prior notice.

Registration of exporters/agents: The exporters or agents should be registered with the General Administration. Annex E shows the registration details required and the format to be used by interested parties when they register. The operators of establishments eligible to export to China should send the required information directly to Chinese authorities by E-mail to: h_cert@ciq.org.cn and copy to h_cert@yahoo.com.cn and confirm with their importers that all applicable requirements have been fulfilled to the satisfaction of the Chinese authorities.

The consignee is required to obtain the license from the General Administration for entry of meat products before concluding a trade contract. Food recall measures have been put in place by Chinese authorities since 2010.

11.7.3.2 Import prohibitions or restrictions

11.7.3.2.1 Import prohibitions

Beef - BSE: The importation of beef is prohibited.

Poultry meat - Avian Influenza: The importation of poultry meat is prohibited.

11.7.3.2.2 Import restrictions

a) Specific requirements:

• Water potability: records must show absence of fecal coliform (Escherichia coli) and a maximum total plate count of 100 microorganisms per ml or less.
• Cotton gloves must not be used in direct contact with meat products.
• The level of nitrite in cured meat products must not exceed 30 ppm (measured in the finished product).

b) Poultry meat:

See section 11.7.3.2.1 for import prohibitions.

Canada must be free of Fowl Plague and Newcastle disease.

The poultry must originate from a poultry farm in which no occurrence of avian cholera and psittacosis (ornithosis) and other reportable infectious diseases regulated by the Canadian government have been observed during the past six (6) months.

Guidelines for issuing certification

Additional procedures are required in order to certify the absence of the diseases that are not reportable in Canada. The diseases in question are: fowl cholera and ornithosis (psittacosis). As for the other diseases which are reportable, the requirement specifies that the diseases of concern must not have occurred during the last six (6) months on the poultry farm of origin.

In order to meet the applicable certification requirements, one of the following conditions (see either "a" or "b", or replacement procedures of the provinces) must be implemented at the slaughter/processing establishment:

1. Receiving of birds
   1. Each lot of birds must be covered by a flock sheet, and for each farm from which birds are received for slaughter, the operator must have on file an attestation of freedom of diseases of concern issued by a veterinary practitioner (includes a veterinarian working in private practice or employed by a company, cooperative or government body other than the CFIA) with a guarantee on the part of the practitioner to immediately notify the operator in case of the occurrence of any of the diseases. The attestation by the practitioner must be renewed on a six (6) month basis.

      An example of an attestation that would be considered acceptable is as follows:

      "To (name and address of operator)

      To the best of my knowledge, no clinical cases of ornithosis or fowl cholera have occurred on the farm located at during the last six (6) months. I undertake to notify you as soon as I become aware of cases of these diseases.

      
      Name Printed and Signature

      
      Date"

      The operator must undertake to inform the Official Veterinarian immediately and to take appropriate action when the veterinary practitioner gives notification of occurrence of a disease of concern.

      or

   2. Each lot of birds must be covered by a flock sheet and an attestation of freedom of the diseases of concern issued by a veterinary practitioner.

      An example of an attestation that would be considered acceptable is as follows:

      "To (name and address of operator)

      To the best of my knowledge, no clinical cases of ornithosis or fowl cholera have occurred on the farm located at during the last six (6) months.

      
      Name Printed and Signature

      
      Date"

   Alternative measures may also be used in provinces that have agreed to implement a disease surveillance system for the diseases of concern; the attestation of disease freedom by a veterinary practitioner will not be required. The components of an acceptable disease surveillance system are described below:

   1. Flock sheet

      Each lot of birds must be covered by a flock sheet.

      Note: On the flock sheet (at the next printing of the form) the following statement appears:

      "I confirm that, to the best of my knowledge, the information contained on this form is accurate and that any diseases that were diagnosed in the flock have been identified and reported."

   2. Animal Health producer's declaration.

      The flock sheet must be accompanied by an Animal Health Sheet issued by the producer that will contain the following two statements:

      Part A - Animal Health Statement: "To the best of my knowledge, no laboratory diagnosis (excluding vaccination response) for the following trade related diseases have occurred in this flock or on my farm during the past six (6) months: avian (fowl) cholera, ornithosis (psittacosis), infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) and infectious encephalomyelitis (AE)".

      Signature:
      Date:

      Part B - Release of Confidentiality: "I authorize animal health laboratories and private veterinary practitioners to release to the Provincial veterinarian, the processor and the CFIA veterinarian in the processing plant, any laboratory diagnosis (excluding vaccination response) for the following trade related diseases: avian (fowl) cholera, ornithosis (psittacosis), infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) and infectious encephalomyelitis (AE)".

      Signature:
      Date:

   3. Immediate notification of diseases of concern by the Provincial veterinarian to the CFIA veterinarian in charge and the operator of the slaughtering establishment.

      All laboratories within the province will immediately notify the provincial veterinarian when one of the diseases of concern is diagnosed. The Provincial veterinarian will in turn notify the operator and the CFIA veterinarian in charge. Alternative pathways for advising the operator and the CFIA veterinarian, for example, via an area office, could be arranged with the agreement of all parties.

2. Segregation and traceability
   • Products destined to export must be adequately segregated from non eligible products during production and remain identifiable until export takes place.
   • Products transferred from one registered establishment to another must be accompanied by a transfer certificate confirming that it meets the applicable requirements (see Annex J - Introduction of Chapter 11).
3. Responsibilities

   Operators interested in exporting fresh and frozen poultry meat to China must submit standard operating procedures outlining how they will comply with the applicable requirements to the CFIA Inspector in Charge. The inspector will review the proposed procedures and approve them when found acceptable. The operator is responsible for implementing the approved procedures and to perform the necessary verification activities. Later on, the inspector will monitor the procedures to verify compliance with applicable requirements so that certification can be issued as applicable upon request.

4. Record keeping

   Operators are responsible for keeping the flock sheet, the attestation or a list of producers with signed release of confidentiality and transfer certificates on file for a period of at least two (2) years. They are also responsible for making them available to the CFIA Official Veterinarian when export certification is requested.

c) Pork:

• Canada officially confirms that it is free from African Swine Fever, Classical Swine Fever, Foot-and-Mouth Disease, Swine Vesicular Disease, Teschen Disease and Rinderpest.
• The pigs from which the pork was derived shall meet the following conditions:
  1. were born and raised in Canada;
  2. did not originate from a farm involved in disease eradication program; and,
  3. did not originate from a farm that was affected with Brucella suis within the past six (6) months.
• The official veterinarian of the CFIA shall carry out the following functions:
  1. supervise the quarantine and carry out ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections according to Canadian veterinary and public health laws and regulations;
  2. certify that the slaughtered swine are healthy and that the meat and viscera are free from any signs of diseases, and have no lesions relevant to human and animal health; and,
  3. certify that the meat is wholesome and fit for human food.
• Animals slaughtered for export to China may not be slaughtered at the same time as animals not meeting the Chinese requirements. Pork destined to China may not be processed at the same time as pork not meeting the Chinese requirements. Pork not meeting the Chinese requirements must be stored in a separated area of the cold storage.

d) Establishments approval process for beef and pork products:

The slaughtering and processing plants exporting pork and beef to the People's Republic of China shall meet the requirements of the Meat Inspection Act and the requirements of the Chinese veterinary hygiene and public health regulations which apply to Chinese meat processing plants in the relevant Chinese laws and regulations. Prior approval of establishments is required for pork and beef products to comply with the provisions of the applicable protocol. The approval procedure is as follows:

• The CFIA will provide the Chinese Inspection and Quarantine Service (CIQ-SA) with a list of establishment(s) wishing to be approved to export to China.
• CIQ-SA will determine which establishment(s) will be inspected.
• CIQ-SA will inform the CFIA of its intention to inspect establishments and will require CFIA's assistance to facilitate the inspection.
• CIQ-SA will perform the inspection and will provide the CFIA with the inspection reports of the establishments visited. CIQ-SA will establish a committee of experts to review the inspection reports and will inform the CFIA, in a timely fashion, of the list of approved establishments and, if applicable, will advise of further action to be taken in the case of the establishments that were not approved. As deemed necessary, the CFIA will review establishments, prior or after CIQ-SA inspections, and will make recommendation to CIQ-SA as appropriate.

In consultation with interested parties, the CFIA will coordinate applications and the request for inspection by Chinese authorities. Applicants will have to cover the costs related to the Chinese inspection. The CFIA will also transmit to all concerned the result of inspection upon receipt from China.

The CFIA will inspect the establishments as necessary, both before and after CIQ-SA inspections, and will make suitable recommendations to CIQ-SA.

*Refer to Annex 1 for the list of approved establishments*

Note: The Chinese authorities reserve the right to inspect approved establishments at any time. Should the inspection reveal that the situation at the establishment is not in conformity with the information provided in the inspection questionnaire completed as part of the approval process, the Chinese authorities will suspend export privileges of the establishment.

11.7.3.3 Specific or additional inspection procedures

Nil

11.7.3.4 Additional certification

1. Only form CFIA/ACIA 4159 needs to be completed for shipments destined to China. Form CFIA/ACIA 1454 need not be completed. Part 2 of form 4159 must be sent to Ottawa in lieu of form CFIA/ACIA 1454.

Note:

1. Form CFIA/ACIA 4159 contains special features and must be obtained from Area Offices.
2. Some ports of entry in China require that shipments be accompanied with a Certificate of Origin. Annex C can be issued at the request of the operator/exporter for that purpose.

11.7.3.5 Special marking and packaging requirements

The product shall be wrapped in new packaging materials complying with international hygienic standards. The name and weight of the product, the name of the manufacturer, the inspection and quarantine certificate number for the product, the storage conditions, the date of production and the registration number of the manufacturer approved by CIQ-SA shall appear with the meat inspection legend on the label of the package. The shipping container must bear the export stamp confirming that the export inspection was considered satisfactory.

A plastic liner must be used to package pork products. Stockinets are not allowed to be used to package products destined to China.

During the storage and transportation, the product destined for the People's Republic of China shall meet the Canadian and Chinese veterinary hygienic and public health requirements, and shall be prevented from being contaminated by poisonous and harmful substances. After loading of the product, the container shall be sealed with an official seal under the control of a CFIA officer and the seal number shall appear on the inspection and quarantine certificate.

11.7.3.6 Other requirements

11.7.3.6.1 Poultry meat:

See section 11.7.3.2.1 for import prohibitions.

With a view to comply with the attestation to the effect that the presence of pathogenic Salmonella and Colibacillus could not be detected, the operator has to submit one (1) sample of product per load, made of five (5) sub-samples, to an official or an accredited laboratory for analysis. Alternatively, poultry feet produced in keeping with the requirements specified in Chapter 19, section 19.5.4.7 can be tested sporadically when the method of production (e.g. scalding and/or hyperchlorination) is consistently producing products that are in compliance. The tests would be of a frequency sufficient to verify that it is working properly. Such method of production should be included in the establishment's HACCP plans.

Testing should be done to identify the following pathogens: E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella pullorum, Salmonella gallinarum, Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis.

The product can only be certified based on negative results for the above pathogens.

11.7.3.6.2 Notification of the issuance of export certificate

The Chinese authorities require direct notification from the CFIA of certain information on shipments of meat products certified for export to assist them in their determination of the integrity of the export certificates received in China.

The following procedures must be implemented in response to the request received from the Chinese authorities:

1. The applicant will complete the electronic Excel version of the table "Weekly List of Export Certificates Issued for China" shown in Annex D, available from the Area Program Specialist- Export, and at the end of the week will send them by email at the following address: mpdexportchina@inspection.gc.ca with cc to the applicant's inspector (the one assigning the certificate).

   Note: if a certificate must be cancelled, there is a specific tab on Annex D for this purpose. This is to be used only for certificates which have been submitted to the mpdxportchina@inspection.gc.ca address

2. The applicant will provide a hard copy of Annex D which was sent to mpdexportchina@inspection.gc.ca initialed by the designated establishment's contact person to the applicant's inspector the same day for verification and record purposes.
3. The applicant's inspector will verify the information contained in Annex D received and document the verification conducted by putting his/her initial and the date of verification on Annex D. The copy of Annex D will be kept on file with part 3 of the export certificates. If a discrepancy is identified the inspector will inform the applicant and the Area Program Specialist - Export, so that appropriate corrective action can be taken by the applicant.

   Note: the verification can be performed the next working day following the receipt of Annex D, when the certificates are assembled and sent to the Supervisor, Import control and Data Information Center (see point 4 below).

4. Under routine procedures, the applicant's inspector collects all certificates issued and sends the applicable copy to Ottawa (see section 11.3(a)(i)). In the case of export certificates issued for products destined to China, the applicant's inspector will collect part 2 of form CFIA/ACIA 4159 and mail them separately by the next working day following the receipt of Annex D to the Supervisor of the Import Control and Data Information Center at the following address:

   Import Control Division
   Camelot Court, 59 Camelot Drive
   Ottawa, Ontario
   K1A 0Y9

   Attention: Supervisor, Import Control and Data Information Center

   Note: In case of issuance of replacement certificate, a photocopy of part 3 of the certificate replaced must be attached to part 2 of the replacement certificate and the corresponding annex, as applicable, to clearly identify the link between the two documents when received by the Import Control Division (ICD). In case of cancellation of a certificate, a photocopy of part 3 of the certificate bearing the word "void" must be sent to the ICD.

5. The information received from the applicant will be forwarded to the Chinese authorities by the Meat Programs Division (MPD) as per their request. In order to prevent delays at the border, the applicant bears full responsibility for providing accurate and timely information as it will be used by the Chinese authorities for import control.
6. If shipment is held due to wrong information submitted to Chinese authorities, Annex D should not be resubmitted to the MPD; instead the applicant's inspector and Area Program Specialist - Export should be contacted.
7. In case exporting establishments determine that a change needs to be made in the information submitted on Annex D to China, they should send their request to Area Program Specialist - Export for review. The following information should be included in the request: the certificate number, the information that was submitted on Annex D, the new information, and the date of submission of Annex D to MPDExportChina@inspection.gc.ca account. The Area Program Specialist - Export will then forward acceptable requests by email to MPDExportChina@inspection.gc.ca account. Chinese authorities requested that all the correction requests regarding Annex D should be sent by MPDExportChina@inspection.gc.ca account.

---

See a CFIA inspector to obtain certificates.

---

Next page: Annex 1