How To Obtain China’s Exporter Filing: Step-by-Step Guide

An overseas food manufacturer may already have GACC registration for its processing facility and still need an Exporter Filing before its products can be imported into Mainland China. The two requirements cover different parts of the supply chain: registration identifies the production facility, while the filing identifies the overseas exporter or agent.

China Exporter Filing, officially called 进口食品境外出口商或者代理商备案, is a mandatory filing for overseas exporters or agents supplying food to China. Companies can complete it themselves online, and China Customs does not charge an application fee. This guide explains who needs China’s Exporter Filing, how to apply for it, and what to check before shipping. 

What is the China Exporter Filing?

Exporter Filing records the overseas exporter’s or agent’s identity, contact information and food categories with the General Administration of Customs of China, commonly known as GACC. Under Article 96 of China’s Food Safety Law, China Exporter Filing is an administrative filing for businesses that supply food to China.

After successful filing, Customs issues an 18-character unified code used for customs clearance. This code is separate from a manufacturing facility’s GACC registration number. samr.gov.cn

Despite the English term “Exporter Filing”, this guide concerns food exported from overseas into China. It does not cover Chinese manufacturers exporting food to other countries.

Who Needs China’s Exporter Filing?

The requirement applies to overseas exporters or agents supplying food to Mainland China. In practice, this can include:

• Manufacturers that export their own products directly to China.
• Overseas trading companies that purchase food from manufacturers and export it to China.
• Overseas agents acting on behalf of companies exporting food to China.

Identify the legal entity performing the export or agency role before applying. A brand owner or parent company should not be filed simply because its name appears prominently on the packaging. The filing should reflect the actual business arrangement.

For example, if a factory manufactures the food but a separate trading company exports it to a Chinese buyer, the factory’s registration does not cover the trading company’s Exporter Filing. If the manufacturer also acts as the exporter, the same business may need both requirements.

Why is China’s Exporter Filing Required?

The filing helps Customs identify the overseas businesses involved in food imports and supports traceability when questions arise about a shipment.

It also provides information needed for customs declarations. Under GACC Announcement 105 of 2024, the importer enters the overseas exporter’s or agent’s 18-character unified code under enterprise qualification code 508, labelled 进口食品境外出口商代理商备案.

Completing the filing does not establish that every product the company sells is eligible for import. Product admissibility, production-facility requirements and shipment compliance still need to be checked separately. 

Exporter Filing vs GACC Registration vs Importer Filing

Requirement	Who it covers	Purpose
Overseas Exporter or Agent Filing	The overseas business exporting food or acting as an overseas agent	Records the exporter or agent and provides its customs clearance code
GACC production-facility registration	The overseas producer, processor or storage facility within the applicable registration scope	Registers the facility supplying food to China
Chinese Food Importer Filing	The business importing food into China	Records the domestic food importer

These are separate obligations under China’s food import framework. If your processing facility already has GACC registration, check whether the overseas exporter and Chinese importer have also completed their filings. Read our full guide to the GACC Registration and Food Export to China to learn more. 

GACC’s current production-facility rules are set out in Decree 280, effective from 1 June 2026, which replaced Decree 248. Facility registration is handled through CIFER. Certain primary edible agricultural products follow a separate overseas-enterprise registration regime, so the applicable facility route depends on the product. Exporter Filing remains a separate process.

Can You Complete the Filing Yourself?

Yes. An overseas company can register an account and submit its own application online. A paid intermediary is optional.

The application is available through the official customs website. The self-service route is useful for businesses that can identify the correct entity, prepare accurate company information and monitor Customs feedback.

What Information Should You Prepare

Before starting, prepare:

• An authoritative company registration document showing the legal name and registered address.
• The company’s country or region and any identification details requested by the live form.
• The contact person’s full name, telephone number and email address.
• The food categories the company intends to export or represent.
• The enterprise undertaking template downloaded from the application system.

Use the registration document as the reference for your company details. It is useful for accurate data entry, even where the live form does not require it as an attachment. Follow the current system’s upload requirements and any subsequent Customs request.

How to Apply for China Exporter Filing

Step 1: Register an Overseas Account

Open the Single Window overseas account registration page and create an account for the overseas business.

Keep the login details accessible to the people responsible for future amendments and Customs correspondence.

Step 2: Log In to Single Window

Go to the Single Window login page and sign in using your username and password. The Chinese login screen includes username, password and CAPTCHA fields.

Enter the CAPTCHA and complete any acknowledgement required by the screen. If the login screen used in this workflow rejects uppercase CAPTCHA letters, try lowercase letters. Follow the live instructions if the interface changes.

Step 3: Open the Overseas Food Exporter Filing

Open the enterprise qualification workspace. Look for 企业资质, meaning enterprise qualifications, and the filing application function.

Select the overseas-enterprise filing option and choose 进口食品境外出口商或者代理商. Confirm the selection to open the application form. Menu placement can vary with account type and system updates; use the Chinese filing name to identify the correct service.

Step 4: Select the Correct Business Role

Choose the option matching your company’s activities:

Form option	English meaning	When to select it
1 出口商	Exporter	Your company acts as the exporter, including a manufacturer exporting its own goods or a trading company exporting purchased goods
2 代理商	Agent	Your company acts as an overseas agent for food exports to China
3 出口商或代理商	Exporter or Agent	Your company performs both roles

If your company is identified as the exporter in the shipment documents, the exporter option will usually be appropriate. Where the seller, consignor and exporter are different businesses, confirm the arrangement with your importer or customs broker before selecting a role.

Choose the combined option only when it accurately describes your activities.

For the product-type field in the workflow described here, select 1 食品, meaning food, where applicable.

Step 5: Enter Company and Contact Details

Enter your company’s legal name in English or the official Latin-script form. Include the legal suffix, such as Ltd, GmbH, B.V. or Inc. Use the name shown on the registry document or an official translation rather than creating an informal English name.

Use the exporting or agency entity’s registered address as your reference. Include the country, and ensure it agrees with the country or region selected in the form. Avoid substituting a warehouse or factory address belonging to a different entity.

Keep spelling, punctuation and abbreviations consistent. For example, using “ABC Foods Ltd” in the filing and “ABC” elsewhere can make it harder to establish that the documents refer to the same company.

Enter the contact person’s full name and current contact details. A monitored company email address is preferable. Include the international country code in the telephone number and use the format accepted by the system.

Step 6: Select Your Food Categories

In the food-category section, 经营食品种类, or the equivalent product-information section, use the add button to select the relevant category or categories and confirm your selection.

Select categories that describe the products you intend to supply. If the classification is unclear, confirm it with your importer or broker. Selecting a category in this filing does not itself authorise a product or manufacturing facility for import.

Step 7: Complete and Upload the Enterprise Undertaking

In 附件信息, meaning attachment information, download the template titled 进口食品境外出口商或者代理商企业承诺书, or the equivalent undertaking provided by the live system.

Complete the applicant’s name or signature field, contact telephone number, email address and submission date. Keep these details consistent with the application form and use the date format requested, such as YYYY-MM-DD.

For the workflow described here, print the completed document, have the named applicant sign it, scan it and upload it under 企业承诺书. Follow any additional signature, company-seal or attachment instructions appearing in the current template.

Step 8: Submit and Monitor the Application

Check the form and attachments, then click 提交, meaning submit. In the interface used for this workflow, this is the blue button with a paper-plane icon. Saving a draft does not submit the application. 

Log in regularly to check the application status and any request for additional information. Read the feedback area above the form and any available status or query section. Correct the information requested and resubmit where instructed.

Wait until the filing is confirmed before relying on it for customs clearance.

How Long Does Exporter Filing Take and What Does It Cost?

Customs’ published service guide lists a five-working-day completion target and no application fee.

For shipment planning, allow approximately one to two weeks after submission, with additional time if Customs requests corrections or supporting information. 

What Happens If You Do Not Have an Exporter Filing?

An unfiled overseas exporter or agent leaves a required part of the ordinary food import process incomplete. The importer cannot correctly supply that entity’s filing code, and clearance may be delayed while the issue is resolved. Customs’ food import service guide lists exporter and importer filing among the conditions for import. 

The practical consequences can include storage charges, additional broker work and disruption to delivery schedules. For perishable goods, a delay may also reduce the remaining shelf life. Complete the filing before shipping rather than planning to resolve it after arrival.

Return or destruction of a shipment depends on the applicable non-compliance and Customs decision; it is not an automatic consequence of every filing error. Missing filing, false declarations and food safety failures should not be treated as the same violation.

How to Avoid Common Filing Mistakes

Use one verified set of company details for the filing and every shipment document identifying that company. Review the commercial invoice, packing list, transport documents and relevant certificates together.

Different supply-chain parties may legitimately have different addresses. Each party’s identity should be clear and consistent.

Common errors include:

• Filing a brand name instead of the exporter’s legal name.
• Filing the parent company when a subsidiary performs the export role.
• Using a manufacturer’s address for a separate trading company.
• Alternating between inconsistent legal names or address formats.
• Selecting food categories that do not match the intended products.
• Uploading an unsigned undertaking or leaving the application in draft.
• Missing a Customs request for further information.

Check labels separately. Article 97 of the Food Safety Law requires Chinese labels on imported prepackaged food and specifies origin and domestic-agent information. It does not establish a universal requirement to print the overseas exporter’s name and address on every Chinese back label. Where overseas company details appear, keep them consistent with the relevant records. Product-specific rules may require additional information. samr.gov.cn

What Should You Do After Filing?

Retain the approved filing details and provide the 18-character unified code to your Chinese importer or customs broker.

Filing information can be checked through the China Customs Enterprise Import and Export Credit Information Publicity Platform, under 特定资质行政相对人名录 and the overseas food exporter or agent directory. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Exporter Filing Enough to Start Selling Food in China?

No. Check the product’s eligibility, the applicable facility registration, the Chinese importer’s filing, labelling and any product-specific approvals or certificates before shipment. Exporter Filing covers one part of this process. online.customs.gov.cn

Can a Trading Company Apply Without Owning a Factory?

Yes. A trading company performing the export role can apply as an exporter. The actual production facility must separately meet the requirements applying to its products.

Do You Need a New Filing for Every Shipment?

The filing records the exporter or agent rather than an individual shipment. Review it when your details or food categories change, and ensure each shipment uses the correct entity information and code.

Does the Filing Have the Same Five-Year Validity as GACC Registration?

Exporter Filing is a separate record. Do not apply the production-facility registration’s five-year validity rule to it. Check the filing’s current status and any validity information shown in the system, and keep its details updated. 

Does an Exporter Filing Cover Every Company in a Group?

Do not assume it does. Check the legal entity that performs the export or agency role. A parent company’s record should not be used simply because the exporter belongs to the same group.

An overseas food manufacturer may already have GACC registration for its processing facility and still need an Exporter Filing before its products can be imported into Mainland China. The two requirements cover different parts of the supply chain: registration identifies the production facility, while the filing identifies the overseas exporter or agent.

China Exporter Filing, officially called 进口食品境外出口商或者代理商备案, is a mandatory filing for overseas exporters or agents supplying food to China. Companies can complete it themselves online, and China Customs does not charge an application fee. This guide explains who needs it, how to apply, and what to check before shipping.

How Can AppInChina Help?

AppInChina can help you with your Exporter Filing application by:

• Identifying the correct legal entity to file as the exporter or agent.
• Reviewing your company details and food categories before submission.
• Helping you complete the application form and enterprise undertaking.
• Guiding you through submission and responding to any requests from China Customs.

To get started with your China Exporter Filing, contact us today.