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GACC Announcement No. 130 of 2026

Quarantine and Sanitary Requirements for the Importation of Cattle Gallstones from Brazil into China

General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC)

Announcement No. 130 of 2026

In accordance with the relevant laws and regulations of the People’s Republic of China and the provisions agreed between the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (“the Chinese side”) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of the Federative Republic of Brazil (“the Brazilian side”) concerning the quarantine and sanitary requirements for the export of Brazilian cattle gallstones to China, the importation of Brazilian cattle gallstones that meet the following requirements is permitted with immediate effect.

I. Inspection and Quarantine Basis

1. Biosecurity Law of the People’s Republic of China;

2. Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine and its implementing regulations;

3. Measures for the Quarantine Supervision and Administration of Imported and Exported Chinese Medicinal Materials;

4. Protocol between the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of the Federative Republic of Brazil on Quarantine and Sanitary Requirements for Brazilian Cattle Gallstones Exported to China (“the Protocol”).  

II. Scope of Products Permitted for Import

For the purposes of this Announcement, cattle gallstones refer to dried gallstones obtained from the gallbladder or bile ducts of cattle raised in Brazil. 

III. Requirements for Donor Animals

The cattle from which the gallstones are obtained shall:

1. Have been born, raised and slaughtered on farms and in slaughterhouses under effective official supervision in Brazil. The donor cattle shall be traceable to their farms of origin through an effective traceability system.

2. Originate from farms where no cases of anthrax or foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) have occurred during the 12 months prior to slaughter.

3. Originate from premises that have not been subject to quarantine restrictions or surveillance due to other notifiable bovine diseases specified by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) during the six months prior to slaughter.

4. Not have been vaccinated with a live anthrax vaccine within at least 14 days prior to slaughter.

5. Show no clinical signs or pathological lesions of tuberculosis or brucellosis during ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection. If either disease is detected in a batch of cattle during such inspections, gallstones obtained from cattle from the same batch and the same farm shall not be exported to China.

6. Never have been fed ruminant-derived feed, except milk and dairy products, gelatin and collagen derived from hides and skins, and dicalcium phosphate containing no protein or fat residues. The cattle shall never have been administered veterinary drugs or feed additives prohibited by China or Brazil.

7. Be covered by Brazil’s national residue monitoring program. Residues of veterinary drugs, pesticides, heavy metals, contaminants and other harmful substances shall not exceed the maximum limits established by China and Brazil.  

IV. Requirements for Production and Processing Establishments

The production and processing establishments shall:

1. Be approved by the relevant competent authorities of Brazil, operate legally, and be subject to their supervision and inspection. Production and processing activities shall continuously comply with the relevant safety and sanitary requirements of both China and Brazil.

2. Be establishments approved by the Chinese side for the export of beef to China.

3. Be recommended by the Brazilian side to the Chinese side and obtain registration.

4. Have facilities for the low-temperature drying of cattle gallstones, equipped with temperature-control devices.

5. Have sanitary storage facilities for finished cattle gallstones that are dry and protected from light.  

V. Production and Processing Requirements

1. Ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections shall comply with the laws and regulations of China and Brazil.

2. Donor cattle shall be confirmed as healthy, with no clinical signs of infectious diseases, and their carcasses and organs shall show no pathological lesions caused by disease.

3. During slaughter, donor cattle shall not be stunned by injecting compressed air or gas into the cranial cavity, nor shall the pithing method be used.

4. Cattle gallstones shall be collected in a safe and hygienic manner. Effective measures shall be taken to prevent contamination from the brain, skull, eyes, spinal cord, tonsils, distal ileum and other relevant tissues.

5. After collection, bile, blood and other impurities adhering to the surface of the gallstones shall be removed using clean gauze, absorbent paper or similar materials. The gallstones shall not be rinsed directly with water, nor shall impurities be removed by chemical methods. Cleaning shall be carried out in a separate designated area within the same establishment.

6. The processing procedure shall effectively remove moisture from the gallstones while preventing damage caused by excessive temperatures.

7. The drying environment shall be kept clean, and drying equipment shall be disinfected regularly.  

VI. Packaging, Labelling, Storage and Transportation Requirements

1. The products shall be packaged using compliant, clean, sanitary and new packaging materials. Cattle gallstones produced on the same production date shall be independently packaged and identified.

2. The outer packaging shall indicate:

    * Product name;

    * Weight;

    * Batch number;

    * Storage conditions;

    * Production date;

    * Name and address of the officially registered slaughterhouse and production establishment; and

    * Registration numbers of the slaughterhouse and production establishment.

3. Storage and transportation shall comply with veterinary sanitary requirements and prevent contamination by toxic or harmful substances. Packages shall not be opened or replaced during transportation.  

VII. Pre-export Inspection and Certificate Requirements

The Brazilian side shall be responsible for conducting inspection and quarantine of cattle gallstones intended for export to China and shall issue a health certificate certifying that the products comply with the requirements of the Protocol.  

VIII. Entry Quarantine Requirements

1. Document verification

China Customs shall verify:

* Whether an Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit has been obtained;

* Whether the products originate from a registered establishment; and

* Whether the health certificate is authentic and valid.

2. Inspection of goods

China Customs shall conduct quarantine inspection of Brazilian cattle gallstones exported to China in accordance with applicable laws, administrative regulations and rules, as well as the requirements of this Announcement.

Products that pass quarantine inspection shall be permitted to enter China.

3. Handling of non-compliant shipments

If any non-compliance is identified during entry quarantine inspection, China Customs shall take appropriate measures in accordance with applicable laws, administrative regulations, rules and the Protocol.  

General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China

September 3, 2026