Promulgation Authorities:  General Administration of Customs

Promulgation Date:  2018.05.29

Effective Date:  2018.07.01

Validity Status:  valid

Administrative Measures on Inspection and Quarantine of Inbound and Outbound International Vessels

Administrative Measures on Inspection and Quarantine of Inbound and Outbound International Vessels

Chapter 1 General Principles

Article 1    These Measures are formulated in accordance with provisions of Border Health and Quarantine Law of the People's Republic of China and its implementation regulations, the Law of the People's Republic of China on Quarantine for Animals and Plants Entering and Exiting China and its implementation regulations, the Law of the People's Republic of China on Commodity Inspection for Imports and Exports and its implementation regulations and Measures on Inspection of Inbound and Outbound International Vessels at Ports of People's Republic of China to strengthen administration of inspection and quarantine of inbound and outbound international vessels, and to facilitate entry and exit of international vessels through ports of China.

Article 2    International vessels referred to in these Measures (hereinafter referred to as the "Vessel(s)") shall refer to foreign vessels entering and exiting through  the border ports of the People's Republic of China, and vessels of the People's Republic of China navigating international routes.

Article 3    The General Administration of Customs shall be responsible for inspection and quarantine of vessels entering and exiting through the border ports of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the "Port(s)"). The competent Customs shall be responsible for inspection and quarantine as well as supervision and administration of inbound and outbound vessels within their respective jurisdiction.

Article 4    The ports of entry and exit for international navigation vessels shall implement inspection and quarantine in accordance with the provisions of these Measures.

Chapter 2 Entry Inbound Vessels

Article 5    Vessels entering China shall accept quarantine at the designated point of the first Port of entry, and go through entry inspection and quarantine formalities.

Article 6    Shippers or agents shall report to the Customs and submit an entry quarantine declaration 24 hours prior to estimated arrival at the Port of entry (or at the time of departure from the last port of embarkation where the voyage duration is less than 24 hours). Shippers or agents shall file amendments with the Customs promptly for any changes in the state of the Vessel or in the content of declaration.

Article 7    If a Vessel subject to entry quarantine is found to have a quarantine infectious disease, or suspected to have a quarantine infectious disease during the voyage, or someone dies not from an accident and the cause of death is unknown, the vessel shall report to the Customs at the Port of entry immediately.

Article 8    The Customs shall verify the content of declarations, decide on any of the following quarantine methods, and promptly notify the shippers or agents:

(1) quarantine at anchorage;

(2) telegraphic quarantine;

(3) quarantine at dock; and

(4) onboard quarantine.

Article 9    The Customs shall conduct quarantine at anchorage for Vessels under any of the following circumstances:

(1) Vessels coming from epidemic areas in respect of communicable diseases which require quarantine;

(2) Vessels coming from animal and plant quarantine areas which are specifically defined by the State;

(3) Vessels carrying patients with quarantine infectious diseases or patients with suspected quarantine infectious diseases, or someone dies not from an accident and the cause of death is unknown;

(4) Carrying live animals in cargo items;

(5) Dead rodents found onboard with abnormal death circumstances;

(6) scrapped and old Vessels;

(7) Without a valid "Certificate of Rat Extermination" or "Certificate of Exemption from Rat Extermination";

(8) Shippers applying for quarantine at anchorage; and

(9) Necessary for the Customs' work.

Article 10    For Vessels holding a valid "Transport Vehicles Hygiene Certificate" issued by the Chinese Customs and not falling under the circumstances listed in Article 9, the Customs shall implement telegraphic quarantine upon the application of the shipper or its agent.

After receiving approval documents from the Customs for telegraphic quarantine, the ship shall be deemed to have implemented telegraphic quarantine. Shippers or agents shall complete entry inspection and quarantine formalities within 24 hours from arrival of the Vessel at the Port.

Article 11    For Vessels that do not hold a valid "Transport Vehicles Hygiene Certificate" and do not fall under the circumstances set out in Article 9 or are unable to undergo quarantine at anchorage due to weather, tide or other factors, the Customs may implement berth quarantine upon application by the shipper or its agent.

Article 12    Upon application by shippers or agents, the Customs may conduct onboard quarantine for cruise vessels, military vessels, vessels carrying visiting VIPs and other special vessels as well as Vessels under special circumstances such as patients on board need to be treated, special materials need to be loaded and unloaded urgently, or Vessels need urgent repairs.

Article 13    Vessels subject to entry quarantine shall display the quarantine signal in accordance with provisions, and the quarantine signal shall not be removed before the Customs issues an entry quarantine certificate or notifies the completion of quarantine. Except for pilots and personnel approved by the Customs, no other persons are allowed on board; cargo, luggage, postal parcels and other goods shall not be loaded or unloaded; other vessels shall not be allowed to draw near; with the exception of distress situation, personnel onboard shall not leave the Vessel without the permission of the Customs; the pilot shall not direct the Vessel away from the site of quarantine at anchorage prior to completion of quarantine and without the permission of the Customs.

Article 14    Shippers or agents shall submit the "Declaration of Navigation Status", "General Declaration", "Cargo Declaration", "List of Crew", "List of Passengers", "Declaration of Products and Articles Used by the Vessel", "Ballast Report" and manifest to the Customs to complete entry inspection and quarantine procedures, and submit the "Certificate of Rat Extermination" or "Certificate of Exemption from Rat Extermination", "Transport Vehicles Hygiene Certificate", "Certificate of Preventive Inoculation", "Health Certificate", "Navigation Log" and other relevant materials at the request of inspection and quarantine officers.

Article 15    When carrying out quarantine on board, the Customs shall carry out quarantine inspection in the presence of shipper's personnel in accordance with regulations on inspection and quarantine procedures.

Article 16    The Customs shall issue the "Ship Entry Health and Quarantine Certificate" to inbound  Vessels found to be free of communicable and contagious diseases; for inbound Vessels that have been confirmed or suspected to have contacted a communicable disease, or come from epidemic areas in respect of communicable disease and are required to undergo sanitation decontamination, or are subject to other restrictions, the Customs shall issue the "Ship Entry Quarantine Certificate" after implementing the corresponding sanitisation decontamination treatment or indicating the sanitation decontamination treatment items that should be accepted . For Vessels coming from animal and plant quarantine areas that have passed the quarantine inspection, the "Transport Vehicles Quarantine Certificate" shall be issued at the request of shippers or agents. An Inspection and Quarantine Notice shall be issued to shippers where decontamination is required, and upon completion of decontamination, the "Transport Vehicles Quarantine Treatment Certificate" shall be issued to shippers at their request.

Chapter 3 Exit Inspection and Quarantine

Article 17    Outbound Vessels shall be subject to inspection and quarantine at the Port of exit and shall complete exit inspection and quarantine formalities.

Article 18    For vessels leaving China, the shippers or agents shall make declaration and go through exit inspection and quarantine formalities with the Customs four hours before departure of the vessels. Shippers or agents shall go through formalities again in the event of any changes to the persons or cargo on the Vessel or where the Vessel cannot depart within 24 hours due to other special circumstances.

If a vessel stays at a port for less than 24 hours, upon approval of the Customs, shippers or agents may process departure formalities simultaneously at the time of processing the entry formalities.

Article 19    Cabins carrying perishable food products and frozen products for export shall apply for loading inspection and obtain an inspection certificate prior to loading. Cabins failing in inspection shall not be allowed for loading and shipping.

Outbound vessels carrying plants, animal and products requiring quarantine shall comply with relevant State regulations on animal and plant epidemic prevention and quarantine, and obtain the "Transport Vehicles Quarantine Certificate" shall be obtained. Where it is required to implement the decontamination treatment, the decontamination treatment shall be carried out and the "Transport Vehicles Quarantine Treatment Certificate" shall be obtained before loading and shipping.

Article 20    Shippers or agents shall submit the "Maritime Health Declaration", General Declaration", "Cargo Declaration", "List of Crew", "List of Passengers", "Declaration of Products and Articles Used by the Vessel", "Ballast Report" and manifest to the Customs to complete exit inspection and quarantine formalities (materials submitted at time of arrival which have not been altered may be exempted from re-submission).

Article 21    The Customs shall issue the "Transport Vehicles Exit Health and Quarantine Certificate" and endorse the contact form for departure formalities of outbound Vessels, upon verification of exit inspection and quarantine materials submitted by shippers or onboard inspection and quarantine which indicates compliance of relevant provisions.

Chapter 4 Quarantine Treatment

Article 22    Sanitation decontamination treatment shall be implemented on vessels under any of the following circumstances:

(1) come from epidemic areas in respect of communicable diseases which require quarantine;

(2) have been contaminated by quarantined communicable diseases or monitored communicable diseases;

(3) discovery of medical organisms relating to human health which exceed hygiene standards of the State;

(4) discovery of animal type 1 and type 2 communicable diseases, parasitic diseases or plant diseases of dangerous nature, insects, weeds or general plant diseases and insect pests, which exceed stipulated standards;

(5) loaded with break-bulk scrapped or rotten or deteriorated products harmful to public hygiene;

(6) loaded with live animals into China, and intend to ship live animals out of the country;

(7) carrying corpses, coffin(s) with corpse(s) and skeletal bones;

(8) scrapped and old vessels; and

(9) other Vessels required by the General Administration of Customs to undergo sanitation decontamination treatment.

Article 23    Persons onboard found to have contacted a communicable disease shall be quarantined, and persons suspected to have contacted a communicable disease shall be detained for examination for a period not longer than the incubation period of such communicable disease, or be diagnosed on the spot.

Article 24    Animals onboard found to have contacted a communicable disease shall be returned, slaughtered or destroyed, and animals potentially infected shall be quarantined. Animals, plants, animal products, plant products and other products requiring quarantine which are prohibited from entering China shall be sealed up or destroyed.

Article 25    Where inbound Vessels coming from epidemic areas need to discharge ballast fluid and are required to undergo sanitation decontamination treatment in accordance with the State provisions, sanitation decontamination shall be conducted prior to the discharge. Daily refuse, swill and waste material of animal and plant nature shall be placed in airtight containers, and sanitation decontamination shall be conducted prior to disposal.

Article 26    Companion animals onboard shall be quarantined by shippers at designated areas. Companion animals, animals and plants used by Vessels which are really necessary to leave the Vessel shall be handled in accordance with relevant quarantine provisions.

Chapter 5 Supervision and Administration

Article 27    The Customs shall implement administration and supervision for Vessels stopping over at Ports, make recommendations for improvement of hygiene conditions in the event of poor hygiene conditions and possible spreading of communicable diseases or plant diseases and insect pests, and supervise and direct the adoption of necessary quarantine treatment measures.

Article 28    The Customs shall accept applications from shippers or agents to issue the "Certificate of Rat Extermination", "Certificate of Exemption for Rat Extermination" (or deferral certificates), "Transport Vehicles Hygiene Certificate" and other relevant certificates.

Article 29    Vessels stopping over at Ports shall not discharge ballast fluid or dispose garbage without prior approval from the Customs, and no unit or individual shall not take animals or plants or animal products or plant products used by the Vessel or other products requiring quarantine away from the Vessel without authorisation. During the stay and voyage of a Vessels in the country, it is forbidden to use the articles sealed on board by the Customs' without permission.

Article 30    The Customs shall implement supervision and administration of padding materials onboard made from animals and/or plants, and the materials shall not be unloaded without approval of the Customs.

Article 31    Vessels shall have and use in accordance with regulations the chemicals and equipment for disinfection and insect and rat extermination.

Article 32    Where a Vessel comes from epidemic areas within China, or a Vessel carries patients with quarantine infectious diseases or patients with suspected quarantine infectious diseases, or someone dies not from an accident and the cause of death is unknown, the person(s)-in-charge of the shall report to the Customs at the Port of arrival, and accept provisional quarantine.

Article 33    The Customs shall implement licensing administration for organisations supplying foodstuffs and drinking water to vessels, and organisations providing ship sanitation decontamination services; and implement filing administration for organisations providing shipping agency and materials services. Their staff shall receive training and examination in accordance with the requirements of the Customs.

Chapter 6 Supplementary Provisions

Article 34    Inspection and quarantine of small boats navigating Hong Kong or Macao routes shall be implemented in accordance with relevant regulations of the General Administration of Customs.

Article 35    Inspection and quarantine of small boats navigating routes of border areas, vessels berthed at Ports which are not open to foreign parties and international vessels in transit shall be implemented with reference to these Measures.

Article 36    Violation of provisions of these Measures shall be punished in accordance with provisions of relevant State laws and regulations.

Article 37    The General Administration of Customs shall be responsible for interpretation of these Measures.

Article 38    These Measures shall be implemented with effect from 1 March 2003. The Implementation Measures of the People's Republic of China on Animal and Plant Quarantine for Inbound and Outbound International Vessels (Provisional) promulgated on 8 May 1995 by the former State Administration of Animal and Plant Quarantine and Administrative Measures on Inspection and Quarantine for Loading and Shipping of Exports promulgated on 29 December 1994 by the former State Administration of Commodities Inspection shall be repealed simultaneously. These Measures shall prevail in the event of inconsistencies with other relevant regulations.