Chinese Mainland has actively encouraged imports in recent years, resulting in many different high‑quality imported foods winning favour with consumers, and creating substantial market opportunities. While the mainland market offers great potential, food exporters must comply with the relevant laws and regulations, including food safety standards, enterprise registration and food labelling. This article highlights some of the key points that exporters should be aware of.

To strengthen supervision over imported foods, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) has formulated the Administrative Measures on Import and Export Food Safety (GAC Decree No. 249) based on the Food Safety Law (Presidential Order No. 21). The legislation contains provisions on food safety monitoring and risk assessment, safety standards, and production and business operations. For more details, please refer to the Food Safety Law and the Administrative Measures on Import and Export Food Safety. Imported food must also comply with enterprise registration, food packaging, labelling and other relevant requirements, including:

For more details, please refer to the Administrative Provisions on Registration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Foods (GAC Decree No. 248).

For more details, please refer to the Administrative Measures on Import and Export Food Safety.

For more details, please refer to the Administrative Measures on Import and Export Food Safety or contact the GAC (official website).

In addition, under the planning framework of the Guangdong‑Hong Kong‑Macao Greater Bay Area, the Chinese Mainland has introduced several customs facilitation measures, including:

• Hong Kong dairy products meeting relevant requirements under the Notice of the GAC on Inspection, Quarantine and Hygiene Requirements for Dairy Products Exported from Hong Kong to the Mainland (GAC Notice No. 137 of 2025) and the Co-operation Arrangement between Hong Kong SAR Environment and Ecology Bureau and the GAC for the Export of Dairy Products from Hong Kong to the Mainland are allowed to be imported into the Mainland. For more details, please refer to the Notice of the GAC on Inspection, Quarantine and Hygiene Requirements for Dairy Products Exported from Hong Kong to the Mainland (GAC Notice No. 137 of 2025).
• Three major categories of food meeting relevant requirements under the Co-operation Agreement on the Supervision of Safety and Facilitation of Customs Clearance of Food Products Manufactured in Hong Kong Exported to the Mainland are eligible for advance release arrangement when entering the Mainland. They are (1) beverages and frozen drinks (excluding alcoholic and milk beverages); (2) biscuits, pastries and bread; and (3) candies and chocolates (including chocolate, cocoa butter substitute chocolate and their products). For more details, please refer to the Advance Release Arrangement for Hong Kong-Manufactured Food Products Entering the Mainland Market.
• Under the Air-Land Fresh Lane, fresh aquatic products and fruits arriving Hong Kong by air for re-export to the Mainland can be transported directly from the Hong Kong International Airport via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge to Zhuhai, where customs clearance, quarantine and other related procedures are to be carried out. For more details, please contact Hong Kong Customs and relevant departments.

Original article published in https://hkmb.hktdc.com