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Announcement on Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Imported Poultry Meat from Serbia

General Administration of Customs Announcement No. 90 of 2026 (Announcement on Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Imported Poultry Meat from Serbia) was officially released on June 30, 2026. In accordance with relevant Chinese laws and regulations as well as bilateral inspection and quarantine requirements for poultry meat exported to China agreed between China and Serbia, imports of Serbian poultry meat complying with relevant requirements shall be permitted with immediate effect.

The scope of products eligible for import covers frozen whole poultry carcasses, cut poultry parts and edible poultry by-products. Specifically, frozen whole poultry carcasses include frozen whole chickens (without internal organs and digestive tracts), frozen chicken (whole or cut), frozen chicken breasts, frozen chicken legs, whole frozen chicken wings and wing cuts (wing root, mid-joint wing, second joint wing and wing tip). Edible poultry by-products consist of frozen chicken hearts, frozen chicken livers, frozen chicken gizzards and frozen chicken feet.

Eligibility Criteria

Production enterprises exporting poultry meat to China must be registered with Chinese authorities and operate integrated slaughtering and cutting facilities. A traceability system shall be established to enable full traceback of products to their farms of origin. Animals for production shall meet the following criteria: Serbia is free from commercial outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza and Newcastle disease within its territory; no relevant epizootic diseases have been recorded on the farms within 12 months prior to slaughter; no veterinary drugs or feed additives prohibited by both parties have been used. All products shall be transported under continuous cold chain conditions with a core temperature no higher than -15°C, and each container shall be accompanied by an original official veterinary health certificate.

The full text of the Announcement is set forth below:

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In accordance with relevant laws and regulations of the People’s Republic of China, as well as the inspection and quarantine requirements for poultry meat exported to China agreed between the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the Chinese Side) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia (hereinafter referred to as the Serbian Side), imports of Serbian poultry meat complying with relevant requirements shall be permitted with immediate effect.

I. Legal Basis for Inspection and Quarantine

(I) Domestic Laws and Regulations

The Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China and its Implementation Regulations, the Animal Entry-Exit Quarantine Law of the People’s Republic of China and its Implementation Regulations, the Import and Export Commodity Inspection Law of the People’s Republic of China and its Implementation Regulations, together with the Measures for the Administration of Import and Export Food Safety of the People’s Republic of China, the Provisions of the General Administration of Customs on the Registration of Overseas Production Enterprises of Imported Food and other relevant regulatory documents.

(II) Bilateral Protocol

Protocol between the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia on Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Poultry Meat Exported to China (hereinafter referred to as the Protocol).

II. Scope of Poultry Meat Products Permitted for Export to China

Serbian poultry meat eligible for export to China refers to edible frozen whole poultry carcasses (edible portions of live poultry after slaughter, bleeding, defeathering, removal of internal organs, heads and feet), cut poultry parts and edible poultry by-products.Frozen edible whole poultry carcasses include frozen whole chickens (excluding internal organs and digestive tracts), frozen chicken (whole or cut, excluding chicken breasts and chicken legs), frozen chicken breasts, frozen chicken legs, whole frozen chicken wings and wing cuts (wing root, mid-joint wing, second joint wing and wing tip). Edible poultry by-products cover frozen chicken hearts, frozen chicken livers, frozen chicken gizzards and frozen chicken feet.

III. Requirements for Production Enterprises

1. All enterprises producing poultry meat for export to China, including integrated slaughtering, cutting and storage facilities, shall complete registration with the Chinese Side. Poultry meat from unregistered manufacturers shall not be exported to China.

2. The Serbian Side shall conduct supervision over manufacturers intending to export poultry meat to China to ensure compliance with veterinary and public health laws and regulations of both China and Serbia.

3. Manufacturers exporting poultry meat to China shall implement a traceability system to trace all exported poultry meat back to their farms of origin.

IV. Requirements for Source Animals

1. The Serbian Side shall confirm that Serbia is free from commercial outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza and Newcastle disease, in compliance with relevant provisions of the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code.

2. Poultry shall be hatched, raised and slaughtered within Serbia, kept separate from other farmed animals, and traceable to their source farms.

3. The source farms/plants shall have no recorded cases of Class II infectious diseases and parasitic diseases associated with poultry that are transmissible via poultry meat, as specified in the Catalogue of Entry Animal Quarantine Diseases of the People’s Republic of China, within 12 months prior to slaughter.

4. The source farms/plants shall not have been subject to quarantine restrictions or surveillance due to suspected or confirmed poultry disease infections (other than the diseases specified in Paragraph 3 above) listed under Chinese and Serbian animal health legislations and WOAH standards within 6 months prior to slaughter.

5. No veterinary drugs or feed additives prohibited by both contracting parties shall have been administered to the poultry.

6. The poultry shall show no clinical signs of infectious diseases, with no pathological lesions on carcasses or internal organs, and pass pre-slaughter and post-slaughter quarantine inspections.

V. Production, Storage and Transportation Specifications

1. Processing workshops shall adopt a rational layout separating dirty and clean zones to avoid cross-contamination.

2. Cold storage facilities shall have dedicated, clearly marked zones for poultry meat destined for China. Edible poultry by-products shall be packed separately by product category.

3. All procedures including packaging, warehousing and transportation shall comply with relevant hygiene standards of China and Serbia to prevent contamination by hazardous substances.

4. Storage and transportation of poultry meat exported to China shall be maintained under specified cold chain temperatures, with product core temperatures not exceeding -15°C.

5. After loading poultry meat into containers, seals shall be affixed under supervision of the Serbian Side prior to shipment. Seal numbers shall be indicated on the veterinary health certificate. Packaging shall not be opened or replaced during transit.

VI. Product Standards

1. Manufacturers shall implement Serbia’s national residue monitoring programme to verify that residues of veterinary drugs, pesticides, heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs, non-dioxin-like PCBs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other toxic hazardous substances do not exceed the Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) set by China and Serbia.

2. Products shall be free from pathogenic microbial contamination and meet the legal requirements of China and Serbia as well as international standards.

3. Products shall not be contaminated by nuclear radiation.

4. Products shall be safe, hygienic and fit for human consumption.

VII. Packaging, Labelling and Certification Requirements

1. Packaging shall use brand-new materials complying with China’s national food safety standards and international hygiene norms.

2. Individual inner packaging shall bear product name, country of origin, registered number of the production enterprise and batch number marked in Chinese and English, or Chinese and Serbian.

3. Outer packaging shall be marked with product name, specifications, place of origin (specific country/region/city), enterprise registration number, batch number, destination (marked as the People’s Republic of China), production date (year, month and date), shelf life and storage temperature in Chinese and English, or Chinese and Serbian. Official inspection and quarantine marks shall be affixed (printed or adhered) to outer packaging.

4. Pre-packaged poultry meat shall additionally comply with China’s laws, regulations and standards governing labels for pre-packaged food.

5. Each container of poultry meat exported to China shall be accompanied by at least one original official veterinary health certificate.

VIII. Entry Inspection and Quarantine Requirements

(I) Document Verification

1. Verify whether products originate from registered manufacturers;

2. Verify whether an Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit has been obtained;

3. Verify the authenticity and validity of veterinary health certificates.

(II) Cargo Inspection

Chinese Customs shall conduct inspection and quarantine on poultry meat exported to China in accordance with applicable laws, administrative regulations and rules, as well as provisions set out in this Announcement. Cargo passing inspection and quarantine shall be granted entry clearance.

(III) Disposal of Non-Conforming Consignments

Where non-compliance is detected during entry inspection and quarantine, Chinese Customs shall take disposal actions in line with relevant laws, administrative regulations, rules and the Protocol.

This Announcement is hereby issued.

General Administration of Customs

June 30, 2026