Why must your farm pass customs filing?

Recently, an aquaculture farm owner, Old Zhang, complained to me: "The quality of our fish is absolutely no problem, but foreign customers insist on seeing some kind of registration certificate. What's going on here?" Actually, it's just like how we need a passport to go abroad—the "passport" for exporting aquatic products is the aquaculture farm registration. According to the regulations of the General Administration of Customs, in order to...Export foodaquaculture farms that provide raw materials for enterprises must complete filing, which is the first pass to open the international market.

Special reminder:Naturally grown seafood usually does not require filing, unless the importing country has special requirements. We once had a case where a company exported wild-caught sea cucumbers and spent an extra 2 months on unnecessary procedures because they were unaware of this exception.

Pre-filing self-inspection checklist

Before submitting a formal application, it is recommended to conduct a comprehensive self-assessment using this "medical examination form" as a reference:

• Qualification certificates: Legal farming certificate issued by county-level or above agricultural/fisheries departments (additional agreement required for leased farms)
• Environmental assessment: No pollution sources within 500 meters, water quality test report meets standards
• Hardware facilities: Standardized breeding pond numbering, independent medicine warehouse, complete aeration system
• Management system: Breeding logs, medication records, feed accounts must be kept for at least 2 years
• Personnel allocation: At least 1 technician familiar with domestic and foreign drug residue standards

Last year, a farm found expired drugs in a corner of the warehouse, causing the entire filing process to be delayed by 3 months. Therefore,conduct self-inspection in advanceIt can definitely save you a lot of time.

Step-by-step guide to preparing application materials

The filing application is actually like preparing a dish - you need all the ingredients to make it taste good. Youll need to prepare:

• Main ingredient: Export Aquatic Product Raw Material Farm Registration Application Form (downloadable from customs official website)
• Supplementary ingredients: Legal farming certificate + lease agreement (if applicable)
• Seasonings: Supporting materials like farm layout diagram, water quality report, etc.

Tips:Its recommended to prepare both electronic and hard copies of all materials.One of our clients once lost electronic materials due to system failure, but fortunately had paper backups that prevented delays.

Five-step clearance guide for online applications

Now the entire registration process is electronic, as convenient as online shopping:

1. Please log in to the "Internet + Customs" integrated platform.
2. Locate the "Registration of Aquaculture Farms for Export Food Raw Materials" module.
3. Fill in information (Note: Farm GPS coordinates must be accurate to seconds)
4. Upload materials (PDF format is safest)
5. Submit and wait for review (usually completed within 5 working days)

Key reminders:Never forget the annual report!! The operating status of the previous year must be submitted by the end of March each year, which is as crucial as an annual vehicle inspection. Last year, 30% of deregistration cases were due to forgetting this "annual inspection."

Survival rules after filing

Obtaining the filing number is not the end, but a new starting point. Keep these "survival rules" in mind:

• Changes must be timely:Major changes like relocation require re-registration within 30 days
• Records must be complete:Every step from seedling input to sales must be documented in detail
• Drug residues must be guarded against:Establish and regularly update a prohibited drug list
• Inspections must be cooperated with:Full cooperation is required for both domestic and foreign official inspections

There was a typical case where a registered farm failed to report a technician change promptly, resulting in detained export goods at the destination country with losses exceeding 2 million yuan. These lessons tell us thatCompliance management is productivity.

Pitfall avoidance guide: these minefields must not be stepped on

According to the data released by customs, the five major "killers" leading to the cancellation of record filing are:

• Use of prohibited drugs (accounting for 45% of violation cases)
• Falsified records (23%)
• Concealing epidemic situation (15%)
• Resisting inspection (12%)
• Failing to meet environmental standards (5%)

Special emphasis:Once the registration is canceled, you cannot reapply for 2 yearsThis is absolutely a fatal blow to the company. It is recommended to conduct regular internal audits, preferably a "self-inspection and self-correction" every quarter.

Special tips for different business entities

Special attention should be paid according to different applicant types:

• Individual businesses: Legal representative changes must be synchronized with registration updates
• Cooperatives: Clear management responsibilities for each members breeding area must be defined
• Enterprises: It is recommended to establish a dedicated quality control department
• Industry Associations: Can provide unified technical guidance for members

For example: A certain aquatic products association increased the registration approval rate of member enterprises by 60% through unified member training and shared testing equipment. This shows thatcollective developmentalso applies in the registration process.

Finally, heres a word for everyone: Registration is not a burden, but an opportunity to enhance competitiveness. Treat registration standards as production standards, and your products will naturally gain a foothold in the international market. Feel free to exchange ideas on any specific questions!