Commodity Inspection:

General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China (AQSIQ) is a ministerial administrative organ directly under the State Council of the People's Republic of China in charge of national quality, metrology, entryexit commodity inspection, entry-exit health quarantine, entry-exit animal and plant quarantine, import-export food safey, certification and accreditation, standardization, as well as administrative law-enforcement. 

AQSIQ has 19 in-house departments, i.e. General Office, Department of Legislation, Department of Quality Management, Department of Metrology, Department of Inspection and Quarantine Clearance, Department of Supervision on Health Quarantine, Department of Supervision on Animal and Plant Quarantine, Department of Supervision on Inspection, Bureau of Import and Export Food Safety, Bureau of Special Equipment Safety Supervision, Department of Supervision on Product Quality, Department of Supervision on Food Production, Department of Law Enforcement and Supervision [AQSIQ Office of Fight against Counterfeits], Department of International Cooperation(WTO Affairs Office), Department of Science and Technology, Department of Personnel, Department of Planning and Finance, Party Committee [PC] Office and Bureau of Retiree Cadres, In addition, assigned by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of CPC and the Ministry of Supervision, a Discipline Inspection Team and the Inspection Bureau resident permanently in AQSIQ. 

AQSIQ undertakes to administrate the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the P.R. China (CNCA) and the Standardization Administration of the P.R. China (SAC). Both authorized by the State Council CNCA is a vice-ministerial-level department, exercising the administrative responsibilities by undertaking unified management, supervision and overall coordination of certification and accreditation activities across the country, and SAC, which is also a vice-ministerial-level department, performs nationwide administrative responsibilities and carries out unified management for standardization across the country. 

There are 15 direct affiliates of AQSIQ as follows, which offer technical support for AQSIQ decision-making and implementing. AQSIQ Service Center, AQSIQ information Center, Research Center for international inspection and Quarantine Standard and Technical Regulation, China Bureau of Fiber Inspection, Chinese Academy for Inspection and Quarantine, China National Institute of Standardization (CNIS), National Institute of Metrology(NIM), China Quality Certification Center (CQC), China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment, China Special Equipment Inspection and Research Center (CSEI), Human Resource Development and Training Center, China Quality News, China Inspection and Quarantine Times, Standards Press of China(SPC), and China Metrology Publishing House. 

The WTO/TBT and WTO/SPS National Enquiry Points of the P.R.C. are also located in AQSIQ. 

Approved by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, 10 trade associations and federations are independently affiliated to AQSIQ. They are: China Entry/Exit Inspection and Quarantine Association, China International Travel Healthcare Association China Association for Quality Inspection, Chinese Measurement Association, China Certification and Accreditation Association, China Association for Standardization (CAS), Chinese Society for Measurement, China Trade Association for Anti-counterfeiting, China Association of Plant Engineering Consultants and China Association for Quality Promotion. 

With purpose to perform the function of entry-exit inspection and quarantine, AQSIQ has set up in total 35 Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureaus (CIQ) in China's 31 provinces, near 300 branches and more than 200 local offices across the country, with employees totaled over 30,000 in goods distributing center at sea ports, land ports and airports. AQSIQ provides direct leadership to all the CIQs. 

The function of quality and technical supervision is performed through 31 provincial-level Bureaus of Quality and Technical Supervision, which, being the working departments of the respective provincial governments (and of autonomous regions, and municipalities), exercise the vertical management to the Bureaus of Quality and Technical Supervision below the provincial level. The total number of working staff engaged in quality and technical supervision is over 180,000 across the country. AQSIQ provides the provincial-level (and of autonomous regions, municipalities) Bureaus of Quality and Technical Supervision with technical guidance.

(A) Inhouse Departments of AQSIQ

General Office, Dept. of Legislation, Dept. of Quality Management, Dept. of Metrology, Dept. of Inspection and Quarantine Clearance, Dept. of Supervision on Health Quarantine, Dept. of Supervision on Animal and Plant Quarantine, Dept. of Supervision on Inspection, Bureau of Import and Export Food Safety, Bureau of Special Equipment Safety Supervision, Department of Supervision on Product Quality, Department of Supervision on Food Production, Department of Law Enforcement and Supervision [AQSIQ Office of Fight against Counterfeits], Department of International Cooperation (WTO Affaitrs Office), Department of Science and Technology, Department of Personnel, Department of Planning and Finance, Party Committee [PC] Office, Bureau of Retiree Cadres. 

 

(B) Direct Affiliates of AQSIQ

AQSIQ Service Center, AQSIQ Information Center, Research Center for International Inspection and Quarantine Standard and Technical Regulation, China Bureau of Fiber Inspection, China Academy for Inspection and Quarantine, China National Institute of Standardization (CNIS), National Institute of Metrology (NLM), China Quality Certification Center (CQC), China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment, China Special Equipment Inspection and Research Center (CSEI), Human Resource Development and Training Center, China Quality News, China Inspection and Quarantine Times, Standards Press of China (SPC), and China Metrology Publishing House.  

 

(C) Independent Associations Attached to AQSIQ

China Entry/Exit Inspection and Quarantine Association, China International Travel Health Care Association, China Association for Quality Inspection, Chinese Measurement Association, China Certification and Accreditation Association, China Association for Standardization (CAS), Chinese Society for Measurement, China Trade Association for Anti-counterfeiting, China Association of Plant Engineering Consultants and China Association for Quality Promotion. 

 

Laws and Regulations

AQSIQ takes the responsibility of organizing to draft the laws and regulations of quality supervision, inspection and quarantine, working out and announcing the relevant provisions and rules, organizing implementation of the laws and regulations concerning quality supervision, inspection and quarantine, and, guiding and supervising administration and law enforcement of quality supervision, inspection and quarantine. 

AQSIQ exercises its functions of quality supervision, inspection and quarantine primarily on the basis of the following laws and regulations: 

     The Law of the People's Republic of China on Import and Export Commodity Inspection: 

     The Law of the People's Republic of China on the Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine; 

     Frontier Health and Quarantine Law of the People's Republic of China; 

     Food Hygiene Law of the People's Republic of China; 

     The Law on Product Quality of the People's Republic of China: 

     The Law on Metrology of the People's Republic of China: 

     The Standardization Law of the People's Republic of China; 

     Regulations for the Implementation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Import and Export Commodity Inspection; 

     Regulations for the Implementation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine; 

     Specific Rules for Enforcing the Frontier Health and Quarantine Law of the People's Republic of China; 

     Regulation of the People's Republic of China on Certification and Accreditation: 

     Regulation on Origin of Import and Export Goods of the People's Republic of China; 

     Specific Rules for Enforcing the Law on Metrology of the People's Republic of China: 

     Regulations for the Implementation of the Standardization Law of the People's Republic of China; 

     Regulations on Safety Supervision of Special Equipment: 

     Regulations on Certificate for Industrial Products; 

     Inspection Measures on the Landing In-and Off of International Voyage Shipping on the Ports of the P.R.C 

 

In addition, the rules and other governing documents issued by AQSIQ, such as Ordinances and Notices of AQSIQ, are also legally binding. Up to August of 2005, there are in total 316 AQSIQ rules currently effective, making up a legal system of quality supervision, inspection and quarantine primarily meeting the need for law enforcement. 

 

Quality Management

In accordance with the Law on Product Quality of the People's Republic of China and the corresponding Regulations for Implementation, AQSIQ organizes the implementation of state policies and measures on quality advancement, provides macroscopical guidance to quality work all over the country, organizes the implementation of the State Quality Award system and the promotion of the strategy of Famous Brand Names, organizes the introduction of advanced expertise and scientific methods of quality management, undertakes the formulation of the rules on quality supervision for major engineering equipment, enforces the recall system for defective products, promotes the development of Revitalizing the City through Quality, organizes the assessment of state macroscopical quality level, organizes the establishment of enterprise quality credit, organizes the professional qualification examination of technical personnel on quality, organizes the investigation in major accidents of product quality and offers comments of rectification, and is responsible for the supervision and management of product anti-counterfeiting. 

 

Management of Metrology

According to the Law on Metrology and its implementation regulations, AQSIQ conducts inspection, supervision and management on imported and exported measurement instruments. The function of AQSIQ in this regard mainly includes, the approval for the model of imported measurement instruments, the examination and approval of imported measurement instruments, the verification of imported measurement instruments, etc. It is the function of AQSIQ to popularize legal metrology units and national metrological system. It is also the responsibility of AQSIQ to organize establishing, approving and administering primary national metrological standards and reference materials, to work out national verification system for metrological instruments, verification standards and procedures, and technical standards for measurement, and to organize unit value dissemination. AQSIQ is also responsible to standardize and supervise measuring behavior for commodity quantity.

 

Management of Inspection and Quarantine Clearance

AQSIQ participates in the planning and checking of national ports opening up to the outside world. According to the relevant law, AQSIQ formulates the List of Entry-exit Commodities subject to Inspection and Quarantine of Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Agencies. AQSIQ administers the inspection and quarantine clearance for the entry-exit goods related to environment, health, animal and plant health, and human safety, and for transportation means and personnel. At ports, an inspection and quarantine clearance management model is applied to entry-exit goods, that is, "Inspection application first, and customs declaration second". 

Entry-exit inspection and quarantine bodies are responsible for inspection and quarantine of import and export goods according to the law and for issuance of inspection and quarantine clearance certificate for both entry and exit consignments. Entry-exit inspection and quarantine bodies also issue inspection and quarantine certificate for goods exporting to more than 100 countries and regions, administer entry-exit inspection and quarantine marks and seals, issue preferential-treatment form of origin, general form of origin, regional preferential-treatment form of origin, special form of origin and registration, and etc. 

Since 2001 in which AQSIQ began to implement "Quick Customs Clearance"system, the efficiency for inspection and quarantine clearance has been greatly improved. Through the "three electronic" projects which include electronic declaration of imported goods, electronic supervision and management and electronic discharge, the speed of custom clearance at ports has been greatly increased, and inspection application, inspection and quarantine, certificate issuing, and statistics collecting have all been managed through network. As an integral part of "Golden Quality Project", China's electronic inspection and quarantine system which is still under construction will help to develop, and realize the scientific, standardized and systematic administration on inspection and quarantine law enforcement. 

 

Management of Entry-Exit Health Quarantine

Inaccordance with Frontier Health and Quarantine Law of the People's Republic of China and its implementation ordinance, it is the responsibility of AQSIQ to carry out health quarantine, epidemic surveillance, health supervision and sanitary treatment for entry-exit personnel, transportation means, containers, goods, luggage, postal parcel. skeleton, special articles, and etc. with the view to promoting the sound implementation of China's opening-up policy, to prevent the spread-in and spread-out of epidemics and to ensure the health of entry-exit personnel. 

 

Management of Entry-Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine

Accordingto the Law of the People's Republic of China on Entry-exit Animal and Plant Quarantine and its implementation regulations, it is AQSIQ that shall conduct quarantine, supervision and administration over animals, plants, animal and plant products, and some other quarantine substance posted or carried by entry-exit passengers; over containers, packaging and bedding materials used to load animals, plants, animal and plant products, and some other quarantine substance; over transportation means coming from the epidemic zones; and over other consignments that should be quarantined and supervised according to the stipulation of laws, regulations, international conventions, bilateral and multilateral agreements or trade contracts. 

The quarantine and supervision aim to prevent the spread-in and spread-out of animal epidemics, verminosis, and disease, pests, weeds risky to plant as well as other hazardous organisms, to protect agriculture, forestry, husbandry, fishery and human health, and to promote the development of foreign trade. 

Quarantine measures mainly include, risk assessment and mitigation measures, quarantine examination and approval, overseas pre-inspection, examination at ports, isolated quarantine, laboratory test, disinfection and disinfestation treat, pre-warning and quick response, supervision and administration over quarantine, etc. 

 

Management of Import and Export Commodity Inspection

According to the Law of the People's Republic of China on Import and Export Commodity Inspection and its implementation regulations, AQSIQ carries out inspection and supervision on import and export commodity and its packaging and transportation means. AQSIQ conducts legal inspection, supervision and administration over commodities included in the List of Entry-exit Commodities subject to the Inspection and Quarantine of Entryexit Inspection and Quarantine Administrations, and conducts sampling test over the non-listed commodities. Enrollment, registration or recording system is conducted for important importedexported commodities related to safety, hygiene, health and environmental protection by AQSIQ. For civil commodities which are guided under the system of import license, AQSIQ should manage and examine the import license. For commodities that should be inspected and quarantined according to the law, AQSIQ should examine whether the commodities could be exempted from inspection and give corresponding approval. It is also the responsibility of AQSIQ to carry out inspection and quarantine for normal packages of the products, packages of risk products, transportation means and containers. AQSIQ also supervises and administers the surveying of imported and exported commodities and the value of foreign-invested assets. It is the responsibility of AQSIQ to examine, approve, supervise and administer the agencies engaged in import-export product inspection and appraisal according to the law. 

 

Management of Import and Export Food Safety

According to Food Hygiene Law of the People's Republic of China and the Law of the People's Republic of China on Import and Export Commodity Inspection as well as the relevant stipulations, AQSIQ is responsible for inspecting, supervising and administering the safety, hygiene and quality of the imported and exported foods and cosmetics. AQSIQ is responsible for organizing and conducting daily supervision and management over the imported and exported foods, cosmetics and their producers. It is AQSIQ that should inspect, quarantine, supervise and manage the imported foods (including beverage, alcohol and sugar), food additive, food container, packaging material, instrument and equipment for food production. Pre-warning System for Entry-exit Food Inspection and Quarantine Risk and Quick Response System have been established by AQSIQ with the view to take preventive safeguarding and treating measures against the possible risk or potential harm caused by imported and exported food. 

In addition, AQSIQ participates in the formulation and implementation of Program on Residue Monitoring and Control over Animal and Animal-origin Food of PR China and Program on Pesticide Residue Monitoring and Control System over Animalorigin Food of PR China. AQSIQ participates in pesticide and veterinary medicine residue monitoring over animal and animalorigin food around the country. 

 

Safety Supervision of Special Equipment

According to Regulations on Safety Supervision of Special Equipment(promulgated by Decree No.373 of the State Coucil of the People's Republic of China), AQSIQ administers and supervises the safety of boilers, pressure vessels, pressure pipelines, elevators, lifting appliances, passenger ropeways, large amusement devices, automobiles in worksites. AQSIQ formulates the list on special equipment which are subject to safety supervision, develops relevant regulations and safety technical codes organizes the implementation of these regulations and codes. AQSIQ supervises and examines the design, manufacture, installation, modification, repair and maintenance, service ,inspection and testing of special equipment as well as the imported and exported special equipment. It is the function of AQSIQ to investigate accidents concerning special equipment and to make statistics and analysis. AQSIQ is also responsible to approve the inspection and testing bodies of special equipment as well as the qualification of relevant inspectors and operators. 

 

Product Quality Supervision and Management

In accordance with the Law on Product Quality of the People's Republic of China and the corresponding Regulations for Implementation, AQSIQ organizes the implementation of the National Surveillance Sampling. It is responsible to work out the catalogue of domestic products for focused supervision. It organizes the enforcement of QS mark system. It administers and coordinates the sectoral supervision, local supervision and professional quality supervision. It administers inspection and appraisal related to arbitration on product quality, supervises and administers inspection bodies of product quality, and, administers the work of Exemption from Quality Inspection for domestic products and the work of production licensing for industrial products. 

 

Supervision and Management on Food Production

In accordance with the Law on Product Quality, the Law on Food Hygiene and their regulations for implementation, AQSIQ organizes the supervision and management on domestic food product quality, safety and hygiene during its production and processing, organizes the implementation of the food quality and safety market access system such as domestic food production license system and compulsory inspection system. AQSIQ is also responsible for investigating and dealing with the serious food safety accidents concerning domestic food production and processing. 

 

Management of Law Enforcement and Supervision

According to the Law on Product Quality, the Standardization Law, the Law on Metrology and their implementation regulations, AQSIQ organizes the fight against the practices that are not in conformity with laws and regulations on quality, standardization and metrology. AQSIQ is authorized by the State Council of People's Republic of China to organize and coordinate the fight against counterfeits in China, AQSIQ also organizes the inspection and quarantine system to fight against fake and counterfeit products and other illegal activities. AQSIQ organizes and coordinates the investigation and examination against important and major cases and also cases across the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. AQSIQ administers and provides guidance for law enforcement bodies under quality and technical supervision agencies and for the building of the law enforcement team. 

 

International  Cooperation

AQSIQ is in charge of international cooperation and exchanges in the fields of quality supervision, inspection and quarantine. AQSIQ, which has established cooperative relations with the competent authorities of most countries around the world, has developed the bilateral consultation and cooperation mechanism with a lot of countries and regions and actively participates in bilateral and multilateral cooperation as well as the collaborations with regional economies. It conducts consultations and negotiations with relevant countries independently or jointly with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Commerce. AQSIQ has signed a number of bilateral cooperative documents with 50 countries and regions, including memorandum of understanding (MOU), protocols, minutes, agreements, etc. 

AQSIQ participates in the activities of the related international and regional organizations, such as WTO, ISO, IEC, CAC, IPPC, Metric Convention (Convention Du Metre), OIML, APEC, ASEM, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, APLMF, and etc. 

With the approval of the State Council, AQSIQ works as the coordinator for China's Inter-ministerial TBT Meeting Mechanism and takes the responsibilities of coordination concerning TBT affairs. AQSIQ is in charge of the implementation of TBT Agreement and SPS Agreement and the domestic coordination for national notification and enquiry. China's WTO/TBT and SPS Enquiry Point is under the leadership of AQSIQ.

 

Management of Science and Technology

As the inspection and quarantine system with strong technical background and comprehensive technical disciplines, AQSIQ always adheres to the strategy of "Revitalizing Inspection System with Science and Technology"and enhances the financial input for scientific and technological development. AQSIQ attaches great importance to the training of professional team and has achieved fairly advanced scientific and technological capability at home and abroad. According to the requirement of quality supervision, inspection and quarantine, AQSIQ has established nearly 700 entry-exit inspection and quarantine laboratories for food safety, animal and plant quarantine, health quarantine, industrial products testing, and etc. Among those laboratories, 188 are national key labs, 318 are regional central labs, and 190 are all-around labs for regular testing. There are 3473 laboratories for metrology, quality inspection, standardization, special equipment inspection, fiber inspection, and etc, among which, there are 260 national product quality supervision and testing centers. These laboratories have obtained advanced instruments and experienced technical staff to conduct inspection, quarantine and testing with the view to ensure import and export trade, to provide effective technical support for the decision-making of AQSIQ, and to provide important technical service for China's social and economic construction as well as opening-up process. 

 

Supervision and Management of Certification and Accreditation

In compliance with the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Certification and Accreditation, CNCA takes the responsibilities as follows: 

To develop, promulgate and implement the state laws, regulations and rules concerning certification and accreditation, safety license, hygiene registration and conformity assessment, to coordinate and guide certification and accreditation across the nation, and supervise and administrate the accreditation bodies and personnel registration bodies. 

To draft the catalogue of products subject to compulsory certification and Safety License System, to work out and promulgate certification marks, conformity assessment procedures and technical requirements, to organize the implementation of compulsory certification and Safety License System. To assess the hygiene registration of manufacturing and processing establishments of import-export food and cosmetics, and the actual registration thereof, and for their registration notification and overseas recommendation. 

To supervise and standardize certification business according to relevant laws, supervise and administer intermediary services and technical evaluation behaviors, to be responsible also for the qualification screening of, and supervision over certification bodies, and to accept, investigate and handle complaints related to certification and accreditation. 

To administer the assessment and qualification approval of the technical competence of relevant calibration, testing and inspection laboratories; to organize the implementation of the assessment, metrological auditing, registration and qualification approval of laboratories; be responsible for the approval of certification bodies, inspection bodies and laboratories undertaking compulsory certification and Safety License System. 

To administer and coordinate international cooperation activities in the field of certification and accreditation in the name of government, to participate in the activities of international organizations of certification and accreditation, and to sign agreements and protocols related to conformity assessment. 

 

Management of Standardization

In line with the Standardization Law of the People's Republic of China and the Regulations for the Implementation of the Standardization Law of the People's Republic of China, SAC undertakes the following responsibilities: 

To draft and revise the state laws and regulations on standardization, to formulate and implement the policies on standardization, to formulate the national administrative rules on standardization and develop relevant systems, and to organize the implementation of laws, rules and systems on standardization; 

To formulate the development programs on standardization of China, to organize, coordinate and draft the programs on the development and revision of national standards, to be responsible for the examination, approval, numbering and publication of national standards; 

To be responsible for coordinating and administering national technical committees of standardization concerned, coordinating and guiding sectoral and local standardization work, and to be responsible for registration of sectoral and local standards. 

To participate in activities of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and other international and regional standardization organizations; to be responsible for organizing the activities of Chinese National Committee for ISO and IEC. To be responsible for managing the participation of domestic sectors and local regions in activities of international and regional standardization organizations, signing and implementing international cooperation agreements; and to administer the work of national systems of organizational entity codes and commodity bar codes.