Notice! From October 2026, the load-fitness inspection work of export perishable food and refrigerated goods containers will be adjusted (with explanation)

General Administration of Customs Announcement No. 136 of 2026 (Announcement on Loadability Inspection of Containers for Exports of Perishable Foods and Refrigerated Goods)

In order to effectively prevent the risk of exported food being contaminated by containers, in accordance with the 'Import and Export Commodity Inspection Law of the People's Republic of China' and its implementation regulations and other relevant laws and regulations, the General Administration of Customs now announces the load-fitness inspection of containers for export of perishable food and frozen products as follows:

1.

Container load-fitness inspection is implemented for the scope of commodities. The codes of perishable food and frozen products can be found on the portal website of the General Administration of Customs, URL: http://jckspj.customs.gov.cn/spj/zcfg18/index.html.

Implement container loadability inspection of perishable food and frozen products HS-CIQ code:

http://jckspj.customs.gov.cn/spj/2026-09/09/article_2026090916484425365.html

2. Enterprise self-inspection

Manufacturers and operators of exported perishable food and frozen products should strictly implement their main responsibilities for food safety, conduct self-inspections on containers, and select clean, hygienic, refrigerated, and tight containers to ship related products. Please see Appendix 1 for the container loadability inspection requirements.

3. Loadability Inspection

Carriers, packing units or their agents that export perishable food and frozen goods should submit an inspection application to the customs where the container is stored through the 'China International Trade Single Window' outbound container loadability inspection module before shipment, and upload the 'Export Container Loadability Declaration of Conformity' (hereinafter referred to as the 'Conformity Statement', see Annex 2). The customs will review the Declaration of Conformity and conduct spot checks on containers, and those that meet the requirements will be allowed to ship perishable food and frozen products for export. The load-bearing test results are valid within 21 days, and will automatically expire after the expiration date.

4. Export Verification

When exporting perishable food and frozen products, the customs will verify the container loadability inspection results. If the inspection fails, the order will be refunded in accordance with the law.

This announcement will be effective from October 1, 2026. If the previous regulations on the loadability inspection of containers for export of perishable food and refrigerated goods are inconsistent with this announcement, this announcement shall prevail.

Announcement is hereby made.

Attachment:

1. Loadability inspection requirements for containers carrying perishable food and frozen goods for export.docx

http://www.customs.gov.cn/customs/attachDir/2026/09/%E8%A3%85%E8%BF%90%E5%87%BA%E5%8F%A3%E6%98%93%E8%85%90%E7%83%82%E5%8F%98%E8%B4%A8%E9 %A3%9F%E5%93%81%E3%80%81%E5%86%B7%E5%86%BB%E5%93%81%E9%9B%86%E8%A3%8 5%E7%AE%B1%E9%80%82%E8%BD%BD%E6%A3%80%E9%AA%8C%E8%A6%81%E6%B1%82.docx

2. Declaration of Conformity for Export Container Suitability for Loading.docx

http://www.customs.gov.cn/customs/attachDir/2026/09/%E5%87%BA%E5%8F%A3%E9%9B%86%E8 %A3%85%E7%AE%B1%E9%80%82%E8%BD%BD%E7%AC%A6%E5%90%88%E6%80%A7%E5%A3%B0%E6%98%8E.docx

General Administration of Customs

September 8, 2026

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Attachment 1: Loadability inspection requirements for containers carrying perishable food and refrigerated goods for export

1. Work content

(1) Check the container number, check whether the container body is complete, and whether the box is marked with dangerous goods;

(2) Check the safety certification nameplate, check whether the container is within the inspection validity period;

(3) Open and close the door, and check whether the movable parts, rubber pads and door switches of the container are in good condition;

(4) Check whether there are any protrusions, hooks, nails, etc. in the container that may cause damage to the goods to be shipped;

(5) Use light transmission tests and other methods to check whether the weathertightness of the container is good;

(6) Check the cleanliness of the container, and whether all parts of the container are clean, insect-free, rodent-free, etc.; (7)

Check whether the inner walls and floor of the container are dry;

(8) Slightly open the door of the container, check the airflow from the box to the outside by smelling, and enter the box to check whether there is any odor;

(9) In addition to the above inspections, for refrigerated containers, you should also check whether the insulation equipment in the container is intact, whether the air inlet, return air outlet, and air duct are unobstructed, check whether the refrigeration equipment is working properly by turning on the electricity, and check whether the temperature can meet the requirements of the goods to be shipped;

(10) For tank containers, it is also necessary to check whether the goods shipped previously are toxic or harmful goods.

2. Judgment criteria

Containers that meet the following requirements will be judged to have passed the load-fitness inspection:

(1) The container number is accurate, the container body is complete, and there are no holes, cracks, obvious deformations, dangerous goods, toxic goods, harmful goods, etc.;

(2) The container is within the validity period of the inspection;

(3) The movable parts, rubber pads, door switches and weathertightness of the container are in good condition;

(4) There are no conditions or abnormalities in the container that may cause damage to the goods to be shipped;

(5) The container inside is clean, dry, odor-free, free of living harmful organisms, and no residual toxic or harmful items;

(6) The refrigerated container has good insulation equipment and refrigeration efficiency, and the temperature inside the container can meet and maintain the requirements stipulated in the transportation contract and trade contract, and can protect the quality of the goods to be shipped; (7

) The tank container has not been loaded with toxic or harmful goods before.

Attachment 2: Declaration of Conformity for Loadability of Export Containers

Policy interpretation

In order to enable the administrative counterparties and all sectors of society to fully understand and accurately grasp the background and key contents of the announcement issued by the General Administration of Customs on the load-fitness inspection of containers for export of perishable food and refrigerated goods, the relevant issues are now interpreted as follows:

1. Announcement Background and Basis According to

the 'Import and Export Commodity Inspection Law of the People's Republic of China', for containers carrying perishable food for export, the carrier or packing unit must apply for inspection before loading. Products that have not passed the inspection will not be allowed to be shipped.

The 'Regulations on the Implementation of the Import and Export Commodity Inspection Law of the People's Republic of China' stipulates that for containers carrying perishable food and frozen goods for export, the carrier, packing unit or its agent shall apply to the entry-exit inspection and quarantine agency for cleanliness, sanitation, refrigeration, tightness and other fitness-for-load inspections before shipment. Products that have not been inspected or failed to pass the inspection will not be allowed to be shipped.

The 'Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Inspection and Quarantine of Entry and Exit Grain' stipulates that the carrier, packing unit or its agent of ships, containers and other means of transport that carry outbound grain shall apply to the customs for cleanliness, sanitation, tightness and other fitness-for-load inspections before shipment. Products that have not been inspected and quarantined or that fail to pass inspection and quarantine shall not be shipped.

2. Main contents of the announcement

(1) Clarify the scope of cargo suitable for inspection. According to relevant laws and regulations, the scope of cargo coding that requires container loadability inspection is clarified, and dynamic management is implemented. For details, please refer to the portal website of the General Administration of Customs.

(2) Optimize the load-bearing inspection mode. In accordance with the relevant provisions of the 'Import and Export Commodity Inspection Law of the People's Republic of China' on conformity assessment procedures, the suitability inspection model will be optimized and adjusted from 'enterprise pre-inspection + customs random inspection' to 'enterprise compliance assurance + customs review and random inspection'. That is, when an enterprise submits an application for loadability inspection to the customs at the place where the container is stored before the goods are shipped, it must upload the 'Export Container Loadability Conformity Statement' as a guarantee of conformity. The customs will review the statement, conduct random risk checks on the containers, and approve the shipment of relevant goods if they are qualified. The load-bearing test results are valid within 21 days, and will automatically expire after the expiration date.

(3) Improve the information system. When enterprises declare relevant goods for export, the customs information system automatically verifies and cancels the container loadability inspection results, and refunds the export declaration forms that fail the verification in accordance with the law.

To ensure smooth implementation, the relevant policies will be officially implemented from October 1, 2026.

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