GACC (General Administration of Customs of China)
— definition for Pakistani agri exporters.

Definition

GACC — the General Administration of Customs of China (Chinese: 中华人民共和国海关总署) — is the People's Republic of China's federal authority for customs administration, food and agricultural import inspection, quarantine and conformity assessment. Established in 2018 from the merger of the former AQSIQ (General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine) into the customs hierarchy, GACC consolidates authority over the Chinese border for goods.

For food imports, GACC operates the CIFER — China Import Food Enterprise Registration system (中国进口食品境外生产企业注册管理系统), through which all foreign food manufacturers, processors and storage facilities exporting to China must register. CIFER registration was made mandatory under GACC Decree 248 (Provisions for the Registration and Administration of Overseas Producers of Imported Food) and Decree 249 (Administrative Measures on Import and Export Food Safety), both effective 1 January 2022.

Why it matters for Pakistani exporters

China is one of the largest and fastest-growing destination markets for Pakistani agricultural exports — particularly spices, sesame, salt, dried chillies, herbs and dried botanicals. The China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA-II, in force since 2020) grants preferential tariff treatment on a wide range of HS lines. But preferential access is conditional on GACC compliance.

Without GACC CIFER registration, a Pakistani exporter's food shipment is refused at Chinese ports of entry (Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Shenzhen). For 2022-2024 the registration backlog meant many Pakistani exporters lost market access during the transition; the CIFER process is now more streamlined but still requires advance preparation.

Practical guidance

How a Pakistani facility obtains GACC CIFER registration:

1. The facility's competent authority — for Pakistan, the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) for plant products and the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFS&R) — submits a recommendation to GACC.
2. The exporter completes the CIFER application: facility details, food categories (per the GACC list of 18 food categories), HACCP/ISO 22000 certificates, quality-control records.
3. GACC reviews and may conduct on-site or remote inspection.
4. Approved facility receives a CIFER registration number, which must appear on the outer packaging of every China-bound shipment from that facility.
5. Each shipment travels with a Form E COO (CPFTA), phytosanitary certificate, COA, HACCP/ISO 22000 cert, Halal cert (where buyer requires), commercial invoice, packing list, BL.

The CIFER number on packaging — typically printed alongside the lot number — is enforced at random inspection; missing or wrong CIFER numbers cause shipment-level rejection.

Source & standards reference

Reference: General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), customs.gov.cn. GACC Decree 248 — Provisions for the Registration and Administration of Overseas Producers of Imported Food. GACC Decree 249 — Administrative Measures on Import and Export Food Safety. CIFER system, cifer.singlewindow.cn.

Related glossary entries