Seafood belongs to a group that must be introduced by a Vietnamese agency
According to the regulations on registration of overseas imported food production enterprises of China Customs (Order 280, effective from June 1, 2026) and the accompanying guidance notice, seafood is in the food group that production facilities must be introduced by the competent authority of the exporting country when registering. For Vietnam, the focal point of the seafood industry is the Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development (NAFIQPM) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
Two layers are required
- Domestic class: facility that meets food safety conditions, is assessed by Vietnamese authorities and is included in the referral list.
- Chinese class: the facility has a name and registration code on the Chinese Customs system, in the correct product group.
Missing one of the two layers, the shipment cannot go through official channels. Small farmers often do not register themselves but join the chain of a facility that already has a code.
Besides the code, what else does the shipment need?
- Species allowed: aquatic species must be on the list of imported from Vietnam, especially live seafood.
- Certificate issued by Vietnamese agencies for each batch.
- The information matches between the registration code, certificate, packaging and the importer's declaration (the importer declares the registration code of the foreign facility on the declaration).
Quick check in 3 steps
- Determine the English name and registration code of the facility (yours or the supplier).
- Look up the official system of China Customs to see the status and allowed product groups.
- Compare with expected documents of the shipment: name, address, code must match.
Note: only use official pages of China Customs (domains customs.gov.cn, singlewindow.cn). China Customs does not charge registration fees through intermediary websites.
Reference information. Enterprises compare the original documents and instructions from competent authorities before applying.
Not sure if your facility is "two-layer" enough? Text your code – Andwind checks it for free. Zalo 0967948685 · andwind.vn
