Seed import compliance in China
Authorities reviewed 2026-10-19
Short answer
Crop seed import approval, variety rules and the Seed Law are administered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA); entry quarantine and inspection of imported seed by the General Administration of Customs (GACC).
Approval and quarantine conditions vary by crop, variety and origin and can change; confirm the current requirement for each shipment with MARA and GACC.
Responsible authorities and official sources
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA)
Seed Law administration, crop seed import approval and variety registration rules.
- General Administration of Customs of China (GACC)
Entry plant quarantine, quarantine permits and inspection of imported seed.
Documents to prepare
- Confirm with MARA whether the crop and variety need import approval before contracting.
- Check the GACC entry quarantine requirement and whether a quarantine permit is needed for the crop and origin.
- Phytosanitary certificate from the exporting country's plant-protection organisation.
- Seed lot label and test data (germination, purity, moisture) matching the contract.
This is orientation, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm the current requirement with the authority for each crop, origin and shipment.
Next steps
- Start a seed sourcing request (qualified requests from USD 250,000)
- Seed price calculator (historical import unit values by HS code, not supplier prices)
- Seed import market map (UN Comtrade HS 1209 and HS 120991 imports by country, 2024)
- Seed, greenhouse and crop output journeys