Why are fresh fruits prohibited from being brought into the country?

1. Basis for legal provisions

In the 'List of Animals, Plants and Their Products and Other Quarantine Objects Prohibited from Being Carried or Delivered into the Country' (Joint Announcement of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs [2021] No. 470 of the General Administration of Customs), 'Plants and Plant Products' are clearly listed in 'Fresh Fruits and Vegetables', that is, all fresh fruits (such as mangoes, cherries, apples, grapes, etc.), regardless of variety or quantity, are items that are prohibited from being carried or delivered into the country.

2. Reasons for entry ban

The Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine Law of the People's Republic of China stipulates: 'To prevent animal infectious diseases, parasitic diseases, dangerous plant diseases, insects, weeds and other harmful organisms from entering or leaving the country, and to protect agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, fishery production and human health.'

Fresh fruits are prone to carry plant quarantine pests such as fruit flies, nematodes, and fungi (for example, the Mediterranean fruit fly can harm more than 200 types of fruits). Once introduced, they may threaten domestic agricultural and forestry production and ecological security, so entry is clearly prohibited by law.

3. When it comes to fresh fruits, what should I do to comply with the regulations?

One thing before:

Don’t buy, don’t bring, don’t mail

Before entering the country, check the 'List of Animals, Plants and Their Products and Other Quarantine Objects Prohibited from Carrying or Delivering into the Country' through official channels such as the 'Official Website of the General Administration of Customs' to make it clear that 'fresh fruits' are prohibited items. Do not purchase fresh fruits from overseas (including airport duty-free shops and overseas supermarkets) to avoid violations due to 'unknowing'.

Among the two things:

If you are unsure, declare it and don’t hide it.

According to Article 9 of the 'Regulations of the Customs of the People's Republic of China on the Supervision of Entry and Exit Luggage and Articles':

If an entry person has any of the following circumstances, he or she must declare to the customs in writing:

(1) Carrying prohibited items;

(2) Carrying restricted entry items exceeding the quota or limit requirements or a license and other supporting materials must be submitted;

(3) Carrying animals, plants, animal and plant products and other quarantine objects;

When entering or exiting a place where the customs implements the 'red and green channel' declaration mode, if the above circumstances exist or if you are unclear about customs regulations or do not know how to choose a channel, you should choose the 'red channel'. Other entry and exit personnel can choose the 'green channel'.

Three things later:

Cooperate with customs staff to process

According to Article 12 of the 'Customs Law of the People's Republic of China': 'Customs performs its duties in accordance with the law. Relevant units and individuals shall answer inquiries truthfully and cooperate, and no unit or individual may obstruct it.' If you accidentally carry fresh fruit and are discovered by customs inspection, you must cooperate with the customs in accordance with the requirements. The law requires passengers to have 'obligations to cooperate' and may not refuse inspection and processing.

Source: China National Times | If there is any infringement, please contact us to delete it.