Phytosanitary Requirements for Imported Fresh Pineapple from Sri Lanka to China

China Market for Fresh Pineapple has been facilitated for the fresh pineapple exporters by the Sri Lanka Embassy in China, NPQS (National Plant Quarantine Service), Ministry of Plantation Industries, Department of Agriculture, GACC (General Administration of Customs of China), EDB (Sri Lanka Export Development Board).

Mandatory pre-inspection of selected pineapple orchards and pack houses were done virtually by live video inspection by the GACC with the involvement of above entities to find whether Sri Lanka is in line with the obligatory requirement of China Authorities to consider granting approval for Sri Lanka to export fresh pine apples to China

Accordingly, GACC has published the Phytosanitary Requirements for Imported Fresh Pineapple from Sri Lanka.

According to the relevant laws and regulations of the People's Republic of China and the regulations on phytosanitary requirements for the import of fresh pineapples from Sri Lanka to China agreed upon by the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, effective immediately, the import of fresh pineapples from Sri Lanka that meet the following requirements is permitted.

1.  Permitted Commodities for Import
Fresh pineapples scientific name Ananas comosus, English name Pineapple.

2.  Approved Origin
Pineapple producing areas in Sri Lanka.

3.  Approved Orchards and Packing Houses

• Orchards and packing plants exporting pineapples to China must be reviewed and registered by the Department of Agriculture under the Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries of Sri Lanka and approved and registered by the GACC.
• The registration information includes the name, address, and registration number, to accurately trace back in case the exported goods do not comply with the relevant regulations.
• Ministry of Agriculture & Plantation Industries shall provide the GACC with an updated list of registered orchards and packing houses every six months, which, after review and approval by the Chinese side, will be published on the website of the GACC.

4.  Pre-export Management
a. Orchard Management

• Orchards exporting to China should establish a comprehensive quality management system and traceability system under the supervision of the Department of Agriculture (DoA), implement Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to ensure the traceability of the production process, maintain orchard hygiene, and implement Integrated Pest Management (IPM), such as regular pest monitoring, chemical or biological control, and cultural practices.
• Phytosanitary measures such as pest monitoring and control should be carried out under the guidance of technical personnel trained by the DoA/ DoA authorized institution.
• Orchards exporting to China should keep records of pest monitoring and  control for at least two years and provide them upon request to the GACC. Records should include information on the active ingredients of chemical pesticides used, application dates, and doses.

Examples :

1. For mealybugs such as Paracoccus marginatus and Pseudococcus viburni, which are of concern to the Chinese side, monitoring surveys should be conducted during the growing season, at least once every two weeks from the flowering period to the end of the harvest period. The surveys should focus on observing whether the fruits, stems, and leaves are infested with the target pests. If pests are detected during monitoring, immediate control measures, including chemical or biological treatments, should be taken to control the pest outbreak or maintain a low prevalence level.
2. For Dickeya chrysanthemi, DoA to establish an orchard monitoring system and strengthen orchard management. Field monitoring surveys should be conducted every two weeks during the pineapple growing season. If suspicious symptoms are found, samples should be taken and sent to the laboratory for identification. Once confirmed as Dickeya chrysanthemi, the affected plants must be removed, and necessary pest control measures should be taken, while strengthening the investigation and monitoring of the orchard.

b. Packing House Management

• The processing, packaging, storage, and shipment of pineapples for export to China must be conducted under the quarantine supervision of DoA or its authorized institutions.
• Packaged pineapples, if stored, must be immediately warehoused and stored separately to avoid re-infestation by pests.
• Packing houses must establish a traceability system to ensure that pineapples exported to China can be traced back to registered orchards. Records should include the processing and packaging dates, names or registration numbers of the source orchards, the quantity of pineapples received by the packing house, export dates, export quantities, destination countries, container numbers, and seal numbers. If chemical agents are used during the processing, the date of use, name, active ingredients, and dosage of the chemical agents should be recorded. These records should be retained for at least two years.

c. Packaging Requirements

• Packaging materials should be clean, unused, and comply with Chinese phytosanitary requirements. If wooden packaging is used, it must meet the requirements of the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM 15).
• The processing and packaging of pineapples for export to China must be conducted in registered packing houses. During the packaging process, fruits and crowns must be manually picked, screened, brushed, or rinsed with a high-pressure water jet to ensure they are free of insects, mites, snails, rotten fruits, grass seeds, plant remains, and soil.
• Each packaging box must be labeled in Chinese or English with information such as the fruit name, country, production area (province, city, or county), orchard name or its registration number, and packing house name or its registration number. Each packaging box and pallet should be marked in Chinese or English with "Exported to the People's Republic of China" or “输往 中华人民共和国”.
• Pineapples exported to China should be transported in clean, sanitary, sealed containers and sealed properly. Upon arrival at the entry port in China, the seal should remain intact and undamaged.

d. Pre-export Inspection and Quarantine

• For the first two years of trade, the DoA officials should conduct sample inspections on each batch of pineapples exported to China at a rate of 2% of the consignment. If no phytosanitary issues occur within two years, the sampling inspection rate can be reduced to 1%.
• If live quarantine pests of concern to the Chinese side are found, the entire batch of goods shall not be exported to China, and the export of pineapples from the related orchards and packing houses may be temporarily suspended for the export season, depending on the situation. The Sri Lankan side should identify the causes and take effective corrective measures; meanwhile, relevant records should be kept and provided to the Chinese side upon request.

e. Phytosanitary Certificate Requirements

• For pineapples that pass the quarantine inspection, the DoA should issue a Phytosanitary Certificate, indicating the name or registration number of the orchard and packing house, and the container number, and specifying in the additional declaration: “This consignment complies with the requirements specified in the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Fresh Pineapple Fruits from Sri Lanka to China, and is free from quarantine pests of concern to China.”

5.  Entry Inspection and Quarantine and Handling of Non-compliance

When pineapples exported to China arrive at the entry port, the Chinese Customs will implement inspection and quarantine according to the following requirements:

a. Verification of Certificates and Marks

• Verify whether the imported fruits have obtained the "Entry Animal and Phytosanitary Permit".
• Check if the Phytosanitary Certificate complies with the provisions of Section VI, Subsection (e) of this announcement.
• Check if the marks on the packaging boxes and pallets comply with the provisions of Section VI, Subsection (c) of this announcement.

b.Handling of Non-compliance

• If it is discovered that the consignment comes from orchards or packing houses not approved by the Chinese side, the batch will not be allowed entry.
• If quarantine pests of concern to the Chinese side, other newly occurring quarantine pests in Sri Lanka, or soil are found, the batch will be subject to return, destruction, or pest eradication treatment.
• If it is found not to comply with the national food safety standards of China, the batch will be returned or destroyed.
• If the above non-compliance is found, the Chinese side will immediately notify the Sri Lankan side and may temporarily suspend the import of pineapples from the relevant orchards or packing houses for the export season. The Sri Lankan side should identify the reasons for non-compliance, urge the relevant orchards and packing houses to make corrections and prevent similar situations from occurring again. Based on the corrective actions taken by the Sri Lankan side, the Chinese side will decide whether to lift the suspension measures.