Exports of agricultural products to China are about to face new regulations under Order 280, tightening registration, traceability, and declaration requirements, forcing Vietnamese businesses to quickly adapt.

The Import-Export Department ( Ministry of Industry and Trade ) announced that it has received Notice No. 172/SPS-BNNVN dated March 23, 2026, from the Viet Nam SPS Office regarding China's issuance of Notice No. 27 of 2026. This notice provides guidance on the implementation of the provisions of the Regulation on Registration of Imported Food Production Facilities Abroad (Order 280).

According to Notice No. 27 dated March 18, 2026, of the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), the categories and scope of management are applied under a flexible mechanism and are regularly updated. Specifically, the list of imported food products requiring registration by competent authorities (according to Article 6) includes many groups such as: meat and meat products, bird's nests, bee products, eggs, cooking oil, cereals, processed foods from wheat flour, dried vegetables, spices, nuts, dried fruits, functional foods, dairy products, and aquatic products.

Furthermore, according to Article 21, certain items such as meat and meat products, bird's nests and bird's nest products will not be subject to the automatic registration renewal mechanism. In addition, the scope of food storage businesses subject to registration (according to Clause 1, Article 30) includes cold storage facilities for food of terrestrial animal and aquatic origin.

Regarding declaration requirements, businesses must strictly adhere to the information declaration process. For imported goods intended for domestic consumption or as raw materials for food processing, in the "Product Certification" section of the customs declaration form, businesses must accurately record the registration number in China ("license code" 519) corresponding to the country of origin. Furthermore, the intended use must be clearly declared as "For consumption" (Edible).

Regarding registration deadlines, regulations differentiate between business groups. For businesses requiring authorization from competent authorities, products manufactured during the validity period of the registration number are still permitted for import, even if the number has expired by the time of import (provided the product is still within its expiration date). Meanwhile, for businesses that register independently, the registration number must be valid at the time of import declaration.

For businesses whose codes have been suspended, canceled, or revoked, shipments that left the port before the decision was made are still permitted to be imported and are not affected. However, if GACC has special requirements, those specific guidelines must be followed.

To support businesses, GACC provides an online registration and management system for foreign food manufacturers importing products. Through this system, businesses can register, change, renew, suspend, or reinstate their registration, and track the processing progress and responses from the regulatory authority. Information related to registration numbers and validity periods can also be looked up on the system or GACC's official portal.

In addition, guidance documents, registration procedures, and support information are publicly available for easy access by businesses. Product classification, HS codes, and surveillance identification codes can be looked up directly on the system to ensure accurate declarations.

GACC Order 280, issued on October 14, 2025 and effective from June 1, 2026, replaces the previous Order 248. This new regulation tightens food safety management, focuses on assessing business risks, and applies an automatic renewal mechanism for registration numbers. Therefore, Order 280 is predicted to have a significant impact on Viet Nam's agricultural exports in the coming period.

Source: Vietnam.vn