China’s new laws now require all food importations to register with the customs authority, creating another barrier for international firms who have long complained of unfair treatment.
Chinese consumers purchased $108 billion worth of imported produce in 2020, with that number expected to grow for 2021 as imports surged nearly 30 percent on year in the first three quarters.
The extra hurdle, previously required only for products posing potential health risks, such as seafood, will now be applied to coffee, alcohol, honey, olive oil, chocolate, and several other products.
Alban Renaud, a China-based lawyer with the firm Adaltys, said there were still many unknowns, such as the margin of tolerance and the applications that are not yet approved.
Importers complained about the late publication of application details and that the website for registering only went online last month. They added that there are hurdles in registering, such as information not being available in English.
Some companies were even given the wrong country code, such as a Portuguese importer being registered as Spanish, according to a Beijing-based diplomat.
Food companies and importers have to deal with control measures under China's strict zero-COVID strategy, with products now subject to extra screening and repeated disinfection.


Federal Judge Signals Possible Dismissal of xAI Lawsuit Against OpenAI
U.S. Lawmakers to Review Unredacted Jeffrey Epstein DOJ Files Starting Monday
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns
Japanese Pharmaceutical Stocks Slide as TrumpRx.gov Launch Sparks Market Concerns
U.S. Stock Futures Slide as Tech Rout Deepens on Amazon Capex Shock
CK Hutchison Launches Arbitration After Panama Court Revokes Canal Port Licences
Dollar Steadies Ahead of ECB and BoE Decisions as Markets Turn Risk-Off
CK Hutchison Unit Launches Arbitration Against Panama Over Port Concessions Ruling
Trump Endorses Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Ahead of Crucial Election Amid Market and China Tensions
Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election
Washington Post Publisher Will Lewis Steps Down After Layoffs
Supreme Court Signals Skepticism Toward Hawaii Handgun Carry Law
Gold and Silver Prices Slide as Dollar Strength and Easing Tensions Weigh on Metals
U.S. Condemns South Africa’s Expulsion of Israeli Diplomat Amid Rising Diplomatic Tensions
Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility
Dow Hits 50,000 as U.S. Stocks Stage Strong Rebound Amid AI Volatility
Prudential Financial Reports Higher Q4 Profit on Strong Underwriting and Investment Gains 



