Chilled seafood (冰鲜水产品) is fresh goods kept refrigerated, not frozen, so when imported into China, they must go through a designated monitoring area specifically for this type of product. On October 20, 2026, Chinese newspapers reported that GACC had approved Hainan's first imported chilled seafood designated monitoring zone, located at Haikou airport logistics zone. This article explains the differences between chilled, frozen and live seafood, along with what to prepare when exporting.
How is chilled seafood different from live and frozen seafood?
These three types of goods have different storage methods, transportation methods and types of monitoring areas. Choosing the wrong declaration method or the wrong border gate can cause the shipment to not be accepted.
| Criteria | Live seafood | Chilled seafood | Frozen seafood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Alive | Dead, refrigerated, not frozen | Frozen |
| Preserve | Water, oxygen or moisturizing, temperature control | Flake ice, foam box, keeps cold continuously | Cold storage, cold containers |
| Usage time | Very short | Short, measured in days | Longer |
| Popular transportation | Road, air | Fast air and road transport | Sea and road |
| Place of import in China | Surveillance zones designate live aquatic animals | The monitoring area designates chilled seafood | According to the border gate, frozen goods are allowed |
What is the designated monitoring area for chilled seafood?
China manages a number of high-risk commodity groups (such as chilled seafood, live aquatic animals, meat, fruit) in the form of "designated supervision zones" (指定监管场地): goods can only be imported through border gates with surveillance zones approved by GACC for that type of goods. The monitoring area has testing conditions, cold storage and appropriate treatment procedures.
Therefore, a border gate with a monitoring area for live seafood may not necessarily receive chilled seafood, and vice versa. Before finalizing the route, you need to ask the Chinese buyer or agent whether the intended border gate has a monitoring area for the correct type of goods.
Breaking news: Haikou has a chilled seafood monitoring area
According to China Xinwen Xa on October 20, 2026, the designated supervision zone for imported chilled seafood at Haikou airport logistics zone (海口空港物流进境冰鲜水产品指定监管场地) has been approved by GACC, the first zone in Hainan province. Goods can arrive directly through My Lan International Airport (Haikou).
The article does not state the capacity and does not state the specific country of origin. This area is only for chilled seafood, not for live seafood. The information has not been compared with the list of monitoring areas published on the GACC website, so businesses need to confirm before planning.
What to prepare when exporting chilled seafood to China?
Facility code
Seafood production and processing facilities must be on the list of enterprises registered by GACC and have a valid code. You can look up on GACC's registered enterprise lookup system. According to Notice 27/2026, when importing, the registration code is declared at license code 519. The valid code registered under Order 248 is still used.
Deeds and labels
Each batch needs a certificate issued by a Vietnamese authority, the information on the certificate, packaging label and declaration must match (species name, facility code, volume, production date).
Storage and flight routes
Chilled goods are very sensitive to time: you should finalize the flight, connection time and refrigeration plan before harvesting and pre-processing, so that the goods arrive at the monitoring area in the best conditions.
Frequently asked questions
Can chilled seafood go through the live seafood monitoring area?
It should not be the default. Each monitoring zone is approved for a specific type of commodity; Need to confirm that the border gate has an area for chilled seafood.
Has Haikou surveillance area received Vietnamese goods yet?
The article dated October 20, 2026 did not mention the specific country of origin. Businesses should ask buyers or agents in Hainan.
Can the establishment code under Order 248 still be used for chilled seafood?
The valid Order 248 registration code will still be used. You should check the code status before each export.
Conclude
With chilled seafood, three things determine whether the shipment will clear customs smoothly or not: the facility code is valid, the documents match, and the border gate has a monitoring area for the right type of goods. The new area in Haikou opens up more air options, but you need to confirm before using.
Reference source
China's Tan Van Xa (chinanews.com.cn), news on October 20, 2026 about the designated monitoring area for imported chilled seafood at Haikou airport: https://www.chinanews.com.cn/cj/2026/10-20/10718078.shtml. General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), foreign enterprise registration lookup system: https://dzs.customs.gov.cn/dzs/2747042/6787828/index.html.
Text your code – Andwind checks it for free. Zalo 0967948685 · andwind.vn
