A foreign dairy or beverage producer building a plant in China needs a locally incorporated entity that obtains a Food Production Licence (SC licence); for infant formula it must also obtain SAMR formula registration before production or import. 外资乳品或饮料企业在华建厂须设立本地实体并取得《食品生产许可证》（SC证）；婴幼儿配方乳粉还须取得SAMR配方注册方可生产或进口。 In … Foreign dairy and beverage producers building plants and market access in China (2026)Read more
GACC
Supply-chain localisation and central-kitchen compliance for foreign chain restaurants in China
Scale in China pushes foreign chain restaurants from imported SKUs to localised supply chains: central kitchens, unified distribution and “one taste across a thousand stores” standardisation. 在中国做规模，外资连锁餐饮须从进口单品转向本地化供应链：中央厨房、统一配送与”千店一味”标准化。 The chain headquarters must hold a Food Business Licence with a “catering-chain management” … Supply-chain localisation and central-kitchen compliance for foreign chain restaurants in ChinaRead more
Imported food and health-food registration, filing and labelling compliance in China (2026)
GACC Decree No. 280 (effective 1 June 2026) replaces Decree No. 248 (2021) and upgrades China’s overseas food-establishment registration into a dynamic, risk-graded, whole-chain system. 海关总署第280号令（2026年6月1日施行）取代248号令（2021），将进口食品境外生产企业注册升级为动态、风险分级、全链条管控体系。 Seventeen food categories require official recommended registration (e.g. meat, aquatic products, dairy, health food, … Imported food and health-food registration, filing and labelling compliance in China (2026)Read more
Foreign F&B brands entering China: franchising vs. wholly-owned paths and food-safety compliance
A foreign F&B brand entering China must hold a locally incorporated entity (WFOE or JV) that obtains the business licence with a catering scope and the Food Business Licence (食品经营许可); the licence is held by the China company, not the … Foreign F&B brands entering China: franchising vs. wholly-owned paths and food-safety complianceRead more
Hainan Free Trade Port After Closure: Customs, Zero-Tariff and the Foreign-Investment Edge (2026)
Hainan FTP launched island-wide closure on 18 December 2025; 2026 is the first full year of the “first line open, second line managed” regime.海南自贸港于 2025 年 12 月 18 日启动全岛封关；2026 年是「一线放开、二线管住」的首个完整年度。 Residents’ duty-free import policy (Cai Guan Shui [2026] No. … Hainan Free Trade Port After Closure: Customs, Zero-Tariff and the Foreign-Investment Edge (2026)Read more
Customs Recordal & Border IP Protection in China: how foreign rights holders stop fakes at the border
China Customs protects five types of IP at the border — trademarks, patents, copyright, Olympic marks, and World Expo marks — and a recordal with GACC is the prerequisite for Customs to act on its own initiative (ex-officio). 中国海关在边境保护五类知识产权——商标权、专利权、著作权、奥林匹克标志与世界博览会标志；而向海关总署备案，是海关能够依职权主动查扣侵权货物的前提。 Recordal … Customs Recordal & Border IP Protection in China: how foreign rights holders stop fakes at the borderRead more
Cross-Border E-Commerce Retail Import: how foreign brands reach Chinese consumers via bonded and direct models
Cross-border e-commerce retail import (跨境电商零售进口) lets foreign brands sell to Chinese consumers without a full general-trade product registration, using two customs models: bonded import (网购保税进口, code 1210) and direct purchase import (直购进口, code 9610). 跨境电商零售进口让外国品牌无需完成一般贸易的完整产品注册即可向中国消费者销售，采用两种海关模式：网购保税进口（监管代码 1210）与直购进口（监管代码 9610）。 Goods must appear … Cross-Border E-Commerce Retail Import: how foreign brands reach Chinese consumers via bonded and direct modelsRead more
Compliance Roadmap for Foreign Brands Entering China via E-Commerce Platforms (2026)
Cross-border e-commerce retail imports are regulated as “personal self-use inbound articles,” not general trade — meaning no first-import licence, registration, or filing is required for list goods, but the model is capped at personal use and cannot be resold domestically. … Compliance Roadmap for Foreign Brands Entering China via E-Commerce Platforms (2026)Read more
Cross-Border E-Commerce Pilot Zones and Retail Import List Management
China’s cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) runs on a nationwide network of Comprehensive Pilot Zones — now 175-plus covering all provinces — and a positive-list regime that defines which goods may enter via the retail-import channel. 中国跨境电商依托覆盖全国的跨境电子商务综合试验区网络（现175个以上、覆盖所有省份）运行，并以正面清单界定哪些商品可经零售进口通道入境。 The retail-import positive list sets … Cross-Border E-Commerce Pilot Zones and Retail Import List ManagementRead more
Comprehensive Bonded Zones Get a 2026 Upgrade: 24 Measures for “Capacity and Quality”
On 14 April 2026 the State Council approved, and the General Office forwarded, the General Administration of Customs’ “Several Measures for Promoting the Capacity and Quality Upgrade of Comprehensive Bonded Zones” (国办函〔2026〕40号) — 24 reform measures, the first such top-level … Comprehensive Bonded Zones Get a 2026 Upgrade: 24 Measures for “Capacity and Quality”Read more