Measures of the Customs of the People's Republic of China for the Administration of Quarantine of Imported Plant Propagating Materials

Chapter I General Provisions

Article 1 These Measures are formulated in accordance with the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Quarantine of Imported and Exported Animals and Plants and the Regulation on the Implementation thereof, the Biosecurity Law of the People's Republic of China, and other relevant laws, and administrative regulations for the purposes of preventing plant quarantine pests and other harmful organisms from being introduced into China along with imported plant propagating materials and safeguarding agricultural and forestry production safety in China.

Article 2 These Measures apply to the quarantine administration conducted by the Customs for imported plant propagating materials.

Article 3 The Customs shall implement risk management for imported plant propagating materials.

Article 4 The General Administration of Customs shall, as necessary, conduct quarantine registration for foreign plant propagating nurseries exporting plant propagating materials to China, and may, with the consent of the official plant quarantine authority of the exporting country (or region), dispatch quarantine personnel to conduct pre-quarantine inspections or pest surveys at the place of origin.

Article 5 Imported plant propagating materials shall enter China through ports that meet the conditions for customs supervision. Specific conditions shall be separately prescribed by the General Administration of Customs.

Chapter II Special Quarantine Approval

Article 6 Where plant propagating materials that are prohibited from entry are to be introduced for scientific research or for other special purposes, the introducing entity or its agent shall, in advance, undergo the approval formalities for special quarantine.

Article 7 Imported plant propagating materials shall not carry soil. Where soil is required to be carried for special reasons, the introducing entity or its agent shall, in advance, undergo the special quarantine approval formalities for the soil.

Article 8 The introducing entity or its agent shall, when undergoing the approval formalities for special quarantine, submit a written application and relevant materials to the relevant Customs District directly under the General Administration of Customs, in accordance with the prescribed requirements.

The facility conditions and security measures of the sites for storage, use, and isolation quarantine of plant propagating materials introduced upon special quarantine approval shall comply with the requirements for customs supervision. Specific requirements shall be separately formulated by the General Administration of Customs.

Article 9 After accepting an application for special quarantine approval, the relevant Customs District directly under the General Administration of Customs shall conduct a preliminary review of the application materials and the sites for storage, use, and quarantine or isolation for compliance with the relevant requirements.

The General Administration of Customs shall organize a comprehensive assessment of the preliminary review opinions and application materials and shall, in accordance with the law, decide on whether to grant administrative licensing.

Chapter III Port Quarantine

Article 10 The entity introducing plant propagating materials or its agent shall, in accordance with the law, make a declaration to the Customs and provide, as required, the quarantine approval documents, the phytosanitary certificate issued by the plant quarantine authority of the exporting country (or region), the trade contract, the invoice, and other relevant documents.

Except under special circumstances, the Customs shall verify, through an automated system, the electronic data of the quarantine approval documents.

Article 11 After arrival at the port of entry, imported plant propagating materials shall not be unloaded from the means of transport without the consent of the Customs. Where port conditions are limited, the materials may, with the consent of the Customs, be transported to designated locations for quarantine or treatment. During transportation, loading, or unloading, the entity introducing the materials or its agent shall take effective phytosanitary measures.

The Customs shall conduct quarantine inspection of imported plant propagating materials in accordance with the relevant laws, administrative regulations, provisions of the General Administration of Customs, and applicable national and industry standards.

Article 12 Imported plant propagating materials for which isolation supervision is required by the quarantine approval authority may, upon approval, be transferred to isolation facilities designated by the quarantine approval authority if no quarantine pests or other harmful organisms seriously harmful to agriculture or forestry are detected during quarantine inspection.

Where any of the harmful organisms specified in the preceding paragraph are detected during quarantine inspection, the materials may, after passing disinfestation treatment, be transferred to isolation facilities designated by the quarantine approval authority. If no effective disinfestation method is available, the materials shall not be permitted entry and shall be returned or destroyed in accordance with the law.

Article 13 Imported plant propagating materials for which isolation supervision is not required may be permitted entry if no quarantine pests or other harmful organisms seriously harmful to agriculture or forestry are detected during quarantine inspection.

Where any of the harmful organisms specified in the preceding paragraph are detected during quarantine inspection, the materials may, after passing disinfestation treatment, be permitted entry; if no effective disinfestation method is available, the materials shall not be permitted entry and shall be returned or destroyed in accordance with the law.

Article 14 Where entry is approved after port quarantine, relevant Customs formalities shall be undergone, and the Customs shall issue the relevant documents upon application by the entity introducing the materials or its agent.

Chapter IV Isolation Quarantine

Article 15 Imported plant propagating materials introduced under special quarantine approval shall be subject to isolation quarantine as required by the Customs.

Article 16 An entity introducing plant propagating materials shall be responsible for the routine management of imported plant propagating materials under isolation quarantine and shall keep truthful records on the introduction batches, isolation planting, and pest monitoring.

During the period of isolation quarantine, no entity or individual shall, without the consent of the Customs, remove, dispose of, or use the imported plant propagating materials.

Article 17 Upon completion of isolation quarantine, the entity introducing plant propagating materials shall submit an isolation quarantine report to the competent Customs. The Customs shall review the report and, taking into account the circumstances of quarantine supervision, issue an isolation quarantine conclusion.

Where the imported plant propagating materials pass isolation quarantine, the relevant Customs formalities shall be undergone, and the Customs shall issue the corresponding documents upon application by the entity introducing the plant propagating materials or its agent; where the materials fail to pass isolation quarantine, they shall, in accordance with the law, be subject to pest eradication, return, or destruction.

Chapter V Quarantine Supervision

Article 18 The Customs shall exercise quarantine supervision over, among other things, the storage, use, and isolation quarantine of plant propagating materials introduced under special quarantine approval.

The Customs may, as necessary, take measures such as sampling, testing, and pest monitoring.

Article 19 Upon arrival of plant propagating materials introduced under special quarantine approval at the designated storage, use, or isolation quarantine premises, the entity introducing the plant propagating materials shall promptly report to the competent Customs.

Article 20 An entity introducing the plant propagating materials shall be responsible for phytosanitary protection during the transportation, storage, use, and isolation quarantine of such materials introduced under special quarantine approval, and shall implement corresponding phytosanitary measures.

Where pests are detected, the entity introducing the plant propagating materials and the isolation quarantine premises shall promptly report to the competent Customs and take control measures. Where the pests are identified by the Customs as quarantine pests or other harmful organisms causing serious damage to agriculture or forestry, the entity introducing the plant propagating materials and the isolation quarantine premises shall take phytosanitary measures.

Article 21 Plant propagating materials introduced under special quarantine approval for exhibition purposes shall be subject to quarantine supervision by the competent Customs during the exhibition period and shall not be repurposed or otherwise used without the Customs' approval. After the exhibition, such materials shall be destroyed or returned. Where a change of use is required for a special reason, the matter shall be handled in accordance with the quarantine requirements applicable to ordinary importation. Discarded plant propagating materials, cultivation media, or packaging materials from exhibitions shall undergo harmless treatment under the supervision of the Customs.

Chapter VI Supplemental Provisions

Article 22 For the purposes of these Measures, “plant propagating materials” means a collective term for plant seeds, seedlings, and other propagation materials, including whole plants or parts thereof, whether cultivated or wild, that can be used for propagation, such as plants, seedlings (including in-vitro seedlings), fruits, seeds, rootstocks, scions, cuttings, leaves, buds, tubers, rhizomes, bulbs, corms, pollen, and cell culture materials (including genetically modified plants).

Article 23 Where plant propagating materials are carried or mailed into China, an application shall be submitted in advance, and the relevant quarantine approval formalities shall be undergone. Where, for a special reason, such formalities cannot be undergone in advance, they shall be undergone subsequently in accordance with relevant provisions.

Article 24 Where non-prohibited plant propagating materials introduced from abroad have passed port quarantine inspection and are permitted to be transported to isolation facilities designated by the departments of agriculture and rural affairs and of forestry and grassland for quarantine supervision, the Customs shall issue a notice of release for removal, and the entity introducing the plant propagating materials or its agent shall promptly report to the quarantine approval authority.

For imported plant propagating materials that have passed quarantine supervision by the departments of agriculture and rural affairs and of forestry and grassland, the entity introducing the plant propagating materials or its agent shall undergo the relevant Customs formalities upon presenting the certificate of compliance issued by the quarantine supervision authority.

Article 25 Imported plant propagating materials may be accompanied by growing media as necessary for maintaining viability. The growing media shall be used for the first time and shall not contain soil, quarantine pests, or other harmful organisms that may cause serious damage to agriculture or forestry.

The Customs shall conduct quarantine inspection of the growing media together with that of the plant propagating materials, and may, where necessary, take samples for laboratory quarantine inspection. Where the growing media have passed quarantine inspection or have undergone effective disinfestation treatment and are found qualified, they shall be permitted entry together with the plant propagating materials. Where the growing media fail to pass quarantine inspection and no effective disinfestation method is available, they shall not be permitted entry and shall be returned or destroyed in accordance with the law.

Article 26 Where any act violates the provisions of these Measures, the Customs shall impose penalties in accordance with the Law of the People's Republic of China on Quarantine of Inward and Outward Animals and Plants and the Regulation for the Implementation thereof, and other relevant laws and regulations. Where a crime is constituted, the violator shall be held criminally liable in accordance with the law.

Article 27 These Measures shall be subject to interpretation by the General Administration of Customs.

Article 28 These Measures take effect on April 1, 2026. The Measures for the Administration of Quarantine of Propagation Materials for Plants Entering China, issued by Order No. 10 of the State Administration for Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine on December 9, 1999, and amended by Order No. 238 of the General Administration of Customs on April 28, 2018, and Order No. 240 of the General Administration of Customs on May 29, 2018, and the Measures for the Administration of Quarantine Nurseries for Propagation Materials for Plants Entering China, issued by Order No. 11 of the State Administration for Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine on December 9, 1999, and amended by Order No. 196 of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine on March 6, 2018, and Order No. 238 of the General Administration of Customs on April 28, 2018, shall be concurrently repealed.