China Customs Prohibited and Restricted Items List

Prohibited Items are strictly forbidden from entering or exiting the country under any circumstances.

Restricted Items may be allowed under specific conditions, such as obtaining prior approval from the relevant authorities or adhering to quantity limits. These items require official permits or documentation for clearance.

List of Prohibited Imports into the People’s Republic of China

• Prohibited Items:
  • Firearms & Weapons (including replicas/imitation firearms)
  • Ammunition & Explosives (all types)
• Prohibited Items:
  • Counterfeit Currency & Securities (including forged banknotes, coins, stocks, bonds, and financial instruments)
• Prohibited Items:
  • Materials Harmful to China’s National Interests (including but not limited to):
    • Printed materials, films, photographs, records
    • Audio/video recordings (tapes, CDs, DVDs)
    • Digital storage media (USB drives, hard drives)
    • Any content deemed:
      • Politically subversive
      • Economically destabilizing
      • Culturally disruptive
      • Morally objectionable

• All kinds of lethal poisons
• Opium, morphine, heroin, marijuana, and other addictive drugs and mind-altering substances.
• Plants, animals or goods that may carry dangerous germs, insects or harmful pests
• Health Risk Alert: Food, medicines or goods from epidemic zones that may spread diseases

PRC Customs: Prohibited and Restricted Goods List

• Radio transmission devices and encrypted communication systems
• Tobacco products and alcoholic beverages
• Local legal tender
• Protected wildlife and plants (live, specimens, seeds, and breeding materials)
• Other restricted import items

PRC Customs: Prohibited Export Goods List

• All Articles Listed as Prohibited Imports
• Materials Containing State Secrets
  • Manuscripts & printed materials
  • Photographic films & prints
  • Audio/video recordings (tapes, discs, digital media)
  • Computer storage devices
  • All other media formats
• Cultural Relics & Protected Artifacts
  • National treasures prohibited from export
  • Other heritage items under export embargo
• Protected Flora & Fauna
  • Endangered species (live or preserved)
  • Biological samples & genetic materials
  • Seeds & reproductive tissue

PRC Customs Controlled Export List

• Precious Metals & Articles
  • Gold, silver, and other precious metals
  • Manufactured goods containing precious metals
• Currency & Financial Instruments
  • National currency (CNY)
  • Foreign currencies and negotiable securities
• Controlled Communication Equipment
  • Radio transceivers
  • Cryptographic communication devices
• Regulated Traditional Medicines
  • Valuable Chinese herbal materials
• Cultural Property
  • General cultural relics (non-national treasure grade)
• Other Customs-Restricted Items
  • Additional articles subject to export controls

PRC Customs: Prohibited Agricultural and Quarantine Items (Personal Carriage & Postal)

Animal and Animal Products Category

Organic fertilizers
(OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code classification)

Live Animals

All mammals, birds, fish, crustaceans, amphibians, reptiles, insects and other invertebrates

Animal genetic materials
(Excluding pet dogs and cats with proper documentation)
(Modeled after USDA/APHIS import regulations terminology)

Meat Products

Raw or cooked meat (including organ meats)

Processed meat products
(Aligned with EU Commission Regulation (EC) No 206/2009)

Aquatic Animal Products

All untreated aquatic products
(Excluding commercially sterile sauces, dried or fermented preparations)
(Following FAO Codex Alimentarius standards)

Dairy Products

Raw milk and pasteurized/sterilized milk

Cream, butter, cheese, condensed milk and other dairy derivatives
(US FDA Grade “A” Pasteurized Milk Ordinance terminology)

Egg Products

Fresh eggs and processed egg products

Egg-derived ingredients (mayonnaise, etc.)
(USDA Egg Products Inspection Act classification)

Edible Bird’s Nests

All untreated nests
(Excluding commercially sterilized canned products)
(ASEAN Food Safety Framework wording)

Animal Byproducts

Untreated hides, wool, hooves, bones, teeth, horns

Fats and greases
(Excluding blood-free processed handicrafts)
(EU Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 terminology)

Derivative Products

Animal-origin feedstuffs

Traditional medicinal materials

Plant and Plant Products Category

Other plant materials with reproductive capacity
(Modeled after IPPC (International Plant Protection Convention) guidelines)

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
(Aligned with USDA/APHIS and EU Plant Health Regulations)

Fresh Cut Flowers
(Following international phytosanitary standards for ornamental plants)

Tobacco Leaves
(Terminology consistent with WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control)

Seeds, Seedlings, and Propagative Materials

All viable seeds and nursery stock

Other Quarantine-Regulated Items

Additional animal/plant products restricted by national law
(Standard phrasing from U.S. CBP & EU customs declarations)

Biohazardous Materials

Animal/plant pathogens (bacteria, viruses, parasites)

Pests and invasive species

Veterinary biologics

Biological materials (cells, tissues, blood products)

Other high-risk biological agents
(Terminology aligned with WHO Biosafety Guidelines & USDA-APHIS regulations)

Animal Remains & Byproducts

Animal carcasses

Preserved specimens

Animal-derived waste
(Modeled after EU Animal By-Products Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009)

Soil & Organic Growth Media

Natural soil

Plant cultivation substrates (peat, compost, etc.)
(Following IPPC (International Plant Protection Convention) standards)

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Transgenic plant/animal materials
(Terminology compliant with Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety)

Other Prohibited Items

• Additional animal/plant products restricted by national law
  (Standard phrasing from U.S. CBP & EU customs declarations)

Notes:

Where laws, administrative regulations, or departmental rules impose additional restrictions, those requirements shall prevail.
(Standard disclaimer in WTO SPS Agreement annexes)

Exemptions for Approved Imports

Animal/plant products and other regulated items may be imported via personal carry-on or mail if:

Approved by the relevant national authorities

Accompanied by an official phytosanitary/veterinary certificate from the exporting country/region
(Phrasing modeled after USDA/CFIA import permit exceptions)

Pet Entry Requirements (Dogs/Cats)

Only one pet per person is permitted (carry-on or checked cargo)

Mandatory documents:

Official animal health certificate from exporting country

Valid rabies vaccination certificate

Additional quarantine rules apply as per local regulations
(Follows EU Pet Travel Scheme & U.S. CDC dog importation standards)

Other Legal Provisions