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Exporting cosmetics and beauty products from China

Cosmetics exported from China meet the importing country's standards or the contract. Where they are subject to inspection, the producer or consignor applies to customs, which inspects at the place of production and issues a certificate where the destination requires one. GACC Decree No. 284 sets these rules from 1 December 2026. CCPIT issues certificates of free sale.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Standard to meet
The importing country's, or the contract
Customs rules
GACC Decree No. 284, from 1 December 2026
Inspection
At the place of production
Certificates
From customs, where the destination requires one
Free sale certificates
Issued by CCPIT

Before the goods leave

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Which standard applies: the destination's, the contract's, or one GACC designates? Read more
  2. 2Is the product subject to customs inspection, and has the application been made? Read more
  3. 3Does the destination want an inspection certificate or a certificate of free sale? Read more
  4. 4Does any ingredient come from a protected wild species? Read more
  5. 5Are the declaration documents ready 24 hours before loading? Read more
  6. 6Is a certificate of origin needed? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Which standard exported cosmetics meet

The destination's standards or the contract, from a producer with a quality management system.

  • Exported cosmetics meet the importing country's standards or the contract (Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Cosmetics (化妆品监督管理条例), Article 45, in force since 1 January 2021).
  • Where the destination has no standard and the contract sets none, GACC may designate the standard (GACC Decree No. 284, Article 16).
  • A producer of exported cosmetics establishes a quality management system and keeps it running (Article 17).
  • Cosmetics made from supplied materials and all re-exported may be exempt from inspection against Chinese standards if, on import of the materials, documents show they meet the destination's rules; the finished products are inspected against the destination's standards or the contract (Article 23).
  • Toothpaste and semi-finished cosmetics are covered too; toilet soap is not, unless it claims the efficacy of special cosmetics (Article 34).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the formula, specifications and test reports with each product, and reads them against what the destination asks for. Ask about this

Inspection and certificates

How customs inspects exported cosmetics and when it issues a certificate.

  • GACC Decree No. 284, the Measures for the Inspection, Quarantine, Supervision and Administration of Imported and Exported Cosmetics, takes effect on 1 December 2026, replacing the 2011 measures (Article 37).
  • It covers cosmetics in the Catalogue of Entry-Exit Commodities Subject to Inspection and Quarantine, and others that treaties or laws make subject to inspection (Article 2).
  • Exported cosmetics are inspected at the place of production, unless GACC designates another place (Article 18).
  • Before export, the producer, consignor or agent applies to customs for inspection with the relevant documents (Article 19).
  • Cosmetics that pass are permitted for export, and customs issues an inspection certificate where the destination requires one (Article 22).
  • Cosmetics that fail may be treated under customs supervision and re-inspected; those that cannot be treated, or fail again, may not be exported (Article 22).
  • Customs applies credit management to producers and consignors of exported cosmetics, and they may seek re-inspection of a result, except for excess microbes or expired products (Articles 29 and 30).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps inspection certificates and lab reports with the lot, dated, and shows which a destination still needs. Ask about this

Certificates of free sale and commercial documents

Commercial certificates buyers and destinations often ask for.

  • CCPIT's commercial certification services include certificates of free sale, certificates of origin, other commercial certificates and agency for consular legalisation of trade documents.
  • CCPIT's authority to issue certificates of origin comes from the Regulations on the Origin of Import and Export Goods.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps free sale and legalised documents with the product, dated, and shows which have expired before a buyer asks. Ask about this

Goods that may not be exported

The catalogue of goods prohibited from export, and protected wild species.

  • Products of prison labour may not be exported.
  • Wild fauna and flora in the Commodity Catalog of Import and Export Wild Fauna and Flora are managed under CITES and national law, whether wild or bred, and goods whose packing states they contain such species are managed the same way.

How we help: Compliant Always reads ingredient lists and specifications against the lists that apply, and keeps the evidence for each ingredient with the product. Ask about this

Export declaration and customs recordation

Who may declare goods for export, when, and with which documents.

  • The consignor of exported goods may declare to customs itself or authorise a customs declaration enterprise; either must complete recordation with customs in advance (GACC Decree No. 277, Article 4).
  • Declaration is made on the electronic customs declaration form; a paper form may be used only in special circumstances with customs' consent (Article 5).
  • Exported goods are declared after they arrive at the area under customs supervision and at least 24 hours before loading (Article 7).
  • The accompanying documents are the contract, invoice, packing list, manifest, bill of lading or waybill, power of attorney for customs declaration, export licences and other documents required by law; goods subject to inspection and quarantine need the documents set for them (Article 8).
  • The consignor and the declaration enterprise answer for the veracity, accuracy, integrity and compliance of what is declared (Article 6).
  • Recordation of a customs declaration entity is valid for a long time; changes to the name, domicile, legal representative or declaration personnel are reported within 30 days (GACC Decree No. 253, Articles 8 and 9).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the contract, invoice, packing list and any licence with the shipment and lot, dated, and shows what is missing before the goods reach the port. Ask about this

Certificates of origin

Proof that goods originate in China, for non-preferential purposes and for preferential tariffs under trade agreements.

  • A consignor may apply for a certificate of origin to the inspection and quarantine authorities, now part of customs, or to the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and its local sub-councils (Regulations on the Origin of Import and Export Goods, Article 17).
  • The applicant registers with the issuing authority and declares origin truthfully; no certificate is issued for goods not originating in China (Articles 18 and 19).
  • Goods wholly obtained in China originate there; otherwise origin is where the last substantial transformation took place, judged first by a change in tariff classification (Articles 3 and 6).
  • Under RCEP, a Certificate of Origin is issued before shipment, or marked "ISSUED RETROACTIVELY"; China's issuing bodies are customs and CCPIT with their local branches (GACC Decree No. 255, Articles 19 and 42).
  • An approved exporter, which must be an Advanced Certified Enterprise, may issue its own declaration of origin under RCEP and the agreements with Iceland, Switzerland and Mauritius; the authorisation lasts 3 years (GACC Decree No. 254).
  • Consignors, manufacturers and approved exporters keep the documents proving origin for 3 years from issue (Decree No. 255, Article 41).
  • Obtaining a certificate by fraud, or forging or trading one, is fined 5,000 to 100,000 yuan (Regulations on Origin, Article 23).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps each certificate or declaration of origin with the shipment, beside the bill of materials it rests on, for the three years the records are kept. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ProducerA working quality management system, meeting the destination's standards, and reporting safety problems to customs (Articles 17 and 28).Specifications, test reports and certificates kept with each lot.
Exporter (consignor)Applying for inspection and declaring truthfully with the documents attached (Articles 19 and 21).Each shipment's documents in one place, dated.
Customs declaration enterprise or forwarderDeclaring within the authority the exporter gives it, under a power of attorney filed with customs.Answers to its questions taken from the record rather than from email threads.
Customs and CCPITInspection, quarantine and export certificates (customs), and certificates of origin (customs or CCPIT).Certificates kept with the shipment and read against what the destination asks for.

Where are the goods going?

Most of what cosmetics and beauty products have to meet is set where they are sold. Each guide sets out the rules on arrival, with the official source for each.

Questions businesses ask

Which standard must cosmetics exported from China meet?
The importing country's standards or the contract (Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Cosmetics, Article 45). Where neither sets one, GACC may designate a standard (GACC Decree No. 284, Article 16).
Do exported cosmetics need customs inspection in China?
Cosmetics in the Catalogue of Entry-Exit Commodities Subject to Inspection and Quarantine, or made subject by treaty or law, are inspected. The producer, consignor or agent applies before export (GACC Decree No. 284, Articles 2 and 19).
Where are exported cosmetics inspected?
At the place of production, unless GACC designates another place for trade facilitation (GACC Decree No. 284, Article 18).
Can customs issue an export certificate for cosmetics?
Yes. Where the importing country requires an inspection certificate, customs issues one for cosmetics that pass (GACC Decree No. 284, Article 22).
When do the new customs rules for exported cosmetics apply?
GACC Decree No. 284 takes effect on 1 December 2026 and replaces the 2011 measures issued as Order No. 143 of the former AQSIQ (Article 37).
Who issues a certificate of free sale for cosmetics in China?
CCPIT lists certificates of free sale among its commercial certification services, alongside certificates of origin.
Are soap and toothpaste covered by the export cosmetics rules?
Toothpaste and semi-finished cosmetics are. Toilet soap is not, unless it claims the efficacy of special cosmetics (GACC Decree No. 284, Article 34).
What happens if exported cosmetics fail inspection?
They may be treated under customs supervision and re-inspected. If they cannot be treated, or fail again, they may not be exported (GACC Decree No. 284, Article 22).
Must a cosmetics exporter report safety problems?
Yes. Where exported cosmetics may cause or have caused harm to health, the producer or distributor acts under the law and reports to customs at once (GACC Decree No. 284, Article 28).
When must goods be declared for export from China?
After they arrive at the area under customs supervision and at least 24 hours before loading. The consignor declares itself or through a customs declaration enterprise, both recorded with customs in advance (GACC Decree No. 277).
Who issues certificates of origin in China?
Customs and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) with its local branches. Approved exporters may issue their own declarations of origin under RCEP and some other agreements.
How does Compliant Always help with exporting from China?
Our team reads the rules for the routes you ship. Compliant Always shows which export documents apply to your product, keeps them with the shipment beside what the destination asks for, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

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