People's Republic of China (PRC)

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• Labeling Requirements
• Required Documents
• Licensing
• Import Procedures
• Taxes/Tariffs
• Contacts

LABELING REQUIREMENTS

The following information must appear on the label in Chinese.  Labels must be accurate, truthful, and non-misleading:

• Product name/brand
• Ingredients list and composition:  Ingredients that constitute less than 25% and do not serve a technological function in the finished food do need not be declared. Permitted sweeteners, preservatives and added colors in fortified wine must be declared. For beer, original wort concentration shall be labeled, using the title of “Concentration of Original Wort”, and use the unit of “°P”. For fruit wine (except for wine), the label shall include original fruit juice content, which is marked by "xx%" in the ingredients list.
• Net volume (ml): Labeled as “net content xxx ml” for bottles under 1 liter, or “net content x liters” for bottles over 1 liter. For packages up to (and including 200ml) the minimum print height is 3mm.  From 200ml up to and including 1 liter, the minimum print height is 4mm.  For packages greater than 1 liter the minimum print height is 6mm
• Alcohol content (%): Should be in the ‘Alcoholic strength xx.x% vol’ format.
• Producer/Distributor/Importer (Name and address): The name and address of the Chinese agent, importer, or distributor must be shown.  The name and address of the producer is optional; if included, it does not need to be translated into Chinese.  
• Country of origin: Mandatory. A Certificate of Origin is typically required to confirm this claim.
• Minimum durability date: Wines with an alcohol content of 10% or less are required to include a minimum durability date.
• Product Type: e.g.., Grape Wine, ‘red’, ‘white’, ‘sparkling’, ‘semi-sparkling,’ ‘fortified’, ‘sweetened fortified,’ etc.
• Sugar content (g/L)
• Mandatory Warning Statements:  The following warning statement must appear in Chinese: "Excessive drinking is harmful to health".  For bottled beer, also include: "Do not hit; it might cause explosion of the bottle".
   

Allergen Labeling: Gluten and allergen disclosure is voluntary. The following foods and ingredients are considered allergenic: gluten-containing grains, crustacea, fish, eggs, peanut, soybean, milk, and nuts.   

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) Labeling: In accordance with the 2015 Food Safety Law, all agricultural genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as well as the ingredients containing the GMO must be clearly labeled when sold within the PRC. Labels must clearly identify GMO raw materials by name.
 

NOTE:  On March 27, 2025, China’s National Health Commission (NHC) and the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) jointly released the General Principles for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods (GB 7718-2025), which will take effect on March 16, 2027. While the updated Principles are not expected to introduce substantial changes to existing labeling standards of alcohol beverages, the scope of certain provisions – such as those pertaining to digital labels and batch code format requirements –may require further clarification or guidance from Chinese regulatory authorities.

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REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

• Commercial invoice
• Customs Value Declaration
• Freight Insurance/documents
• Packing List
• Insurance Certificate
• Certificate of Origin (for distilled spirits and malt beverages only)
• Certificate of Health/Sanitation (for distilled spirits and malt beverages only)
• Certificate of Authenticity/Free Sale (for distilled spirits and malt beverages only)
• Consolidated Wine Export Certificate (for wine only)

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LICENSING and REGISTRATION

In 2018, as part of a government restructuring plan, China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and other agencies were merged into a larger regulatory body—the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR). SAMR now oversees a wide range of functions, including but not limited to quality inspection, business registration, certification and accreditation, drug safety, and intellectual property rights. AQSIQ’s Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) was also absorbed by SAMR. Meanwhile, the General Administration of Customs China (GACC) assumed AQSIQ’s former entry/exit inspection and quarantine functions. GACC’s Bureau of Import and Export Food Safety (BIEFS) is now responsible for developing rules and procedures for food safety, inspection, and quarantine of imported and exported food.

 General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) decree 248 (April 2021) requires all overseas food manufacturers, processors, and storage facilities to register via GACC’s online registration system. Alcohol beverage exporters and importers are also required to register via the same online form. Decree 249 of the same year introduces additional requirements such as evaluations of foreign food safety management systems, importer/exporter record filing, and product labeling compliance. GACC maintains a list of registered importers on this website. 

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IMPORT PROCEDURES

All import documents must be submitted electronically via GACC’s system, and document checks may be completed electronically for certain shipments. GACC encourages pre-clearance for all products. Import documents are usually submitted two or three days before sea shipment arrival or after the flight departure for air cargo deliveries. Customs clearance may be completed pre-arrival if no inspection is needed, and if all documents are in order. GACC’s website provides detailed information on the import requirements, procedures, and required forms.  A clearance flowchart is outlined below.

Interested exporters are encouraged to contact one of four Agricultural Trade Offices (ATO) in China (see Contacts below). These offices are part of USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and provide market information, market development support and a wide variety of activities designed to strengthen distribution channels for U.S. agricultural products (e.g., wine).  

Import Commodity Inspection: Upon arrival at the port the consigno)r or its agent declares the shipment to GACC. GACC may conduct on-site inspection and sample testing.  Alcoholic beverages imported in bottles must bear Chinese labels that comply with the labeling requirements outlined above.  Upon passing the initial inspection, including a sanitation assessment, commodities are released by GACC. Certain labeling claims, such as “organic”, require additional certification from the Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) prior to customs release.  Organic claims must be verified and certified in accordance with the 2019 Rules on Organic Standard and Certification (amended in 2022).

As noted in the Required Documents section, all wine shipments to the People's Republic of China must be accompanied by a Consolidated Wine Export Certificate. This certificate approved by the Chinese government combines a Certificate of Origin, Certificate of Health/Sanitation, and Certificate of Authenticity/Free Sale into a single document. Imports of distilled spirits and beer must include all three certificates individually.

NOTE: The Consolidated Wine Export Certificate is not valid for wine exports to Hong Kong or Taiwan, which instead use the APEC Model Wine Certificate. The Chinese government does not accept certificates issued by a supplier or producer. All certificates must be signed, dated, and stamped by a competent authority in the country of origin.

TTB's International Affairs Division (IAD) is the authorized U.S. entity that issues export certifications for China. Certificates are typically completed by the producer or exporter and then submitted to IAD for validation and processing. Templates and submission instructions are available on the TTB Export Documents/Certificates page.

The importation of alcohol beverages for personal use is permitted; however, customs duties will be collected on quantities exceeding 1.5 liters. Entry port customs officials will determine maximum allowable quantities for personal importation.

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TAXES/TARIFFS

The Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) number for a specific product can be located using the U.S. Census Bureau's Schedule B search engine or by contacting a commodity expert at the Census Bureau’s Trade Data Collection Branch at: 1-800-549-0595 (option 2). After obtaining the HTS number, U.S. exporters can use the Customs Info Database to identify import tariffs imposed by a specific country. China's tariff rates may also be found using WTO Tariff & Trade Data tool.

China’s tariffs are published and administered by the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC). Tax rates for wine and distilled spirits are calculated based on three components: Import tax, Value-Added Tax (VAT), and Consumption Tax. Beer and malt beverage products are subject to VAT and Consumption tax only.

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CONTACTS

The People's Republic of China does not have a dedicated agency that specifically monitors the alcohol industry. It is highly recommended that U.S. exporters verify the full set of import requirements with their foreign agents or customers, who are normally best equipped to research such matters with local authorities, before any goods are shipped. 

The information in this guide was obtained from external sources, including the websites of various governmental agencies and organizations, direct contact with those agencies and organizations, from Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)  Attaché reports. Consequently, the accuracy of this information depends upon the accuracy of the sources.

TTB is not responsible for the content of external websites.

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