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Exporting clothing, footwear and textiles from China

Clothing and textiles leave China on an export declaration, and a buyer claiming a preferential tariff needs proof of origin. Certificates of origin come from customs or CCPIT; under RCEP, textile goods can still qualify when non-originating materials weigh no more than 10%. The exporter records with customs and declares at least 24 hours before loading.

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

Certificates of origin
Customs or CCPIT
RCEP textile weight rule
Non-originating materials up to 10% by weight
Origin records
Kept 3 years
Declaration
At least 24 hours before loading
Protected species
Managed under CITES and Chinese law

Before the goods leave

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

  1. 1Does the buyer need a certificate of origin, and under which agreement? Read more
  2. 2Does the garment or fabric meet the RCEP product-specific rule or the textile weight rule? Read more
  3. 3Is the product in a class GACC inspects or spot-checks? Read more
  4. 4Does it contain fur, leather or other material from a protected species? Read more
  5. 5Are the documents ready 24 hours before loading? Read more

The rules, by area

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

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

Preferential origin for textiles under RCEP

How clothing and textiles qualify as originating for RCEP tariffs, and the weight rule for textile chapters.

  • A good originates under RCEP if it is wholly obtained in a member party, made only from originating materials, or made from non-originating materials that meet the Product-Specific Rules, which GACC publishes (GACC Decree No. 255, Article 3).
  • Originating materials from one member party used in production in another count as originating there (Article 6).
  • Where non-originating materials do not meet the required change in tariff classification, a good in tariff Chapters 50 to 63, the textile chapters, still qualifies if those materials weigh no more than 10% of the good (Article 8).
  • Packing for retail sale, or affixing labels or marks, does not on its own confer origin (Article 5).
  • A Certificate of Origin is in English, issued before shipment by customs or CCPIT, and the applicant submits the materials proving origin with the application (Articles 18, 19 and 34).
  • Consignors and manufacturers keep the documents proving origin for 3 years from issue (Article 41).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the bill of materials, fibre and fabric suppliers' documents and each certificate of origin with the style and shipment, for the three years the records are kept. Ask about this

Inspection and spot checks

Compulsory inspection for goods in GACC's catalogue, and spot checks outside it.

  • Goods in GACC's catalogue of commodities subject to compulsory inspection may not be exported until they pass (Law on Import and Export Commodity Inspection, Articles 4 and 5).
  • From 1 June 2026, GACC spot-checks some goods outside the catalogue; the exports named are infant and child products (婴童用品) and low-voltage electrical apparatus, among others (GACC Announcement No. 57 of 2026).
  • Exporting adulterated, counterfeit or substandard goods as good ones is fined 50% to 3 times their value (Article 33).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps fibre content and test reports with each style and lot, dated, and reads them against what the destination asks for. Ask about this

Fur, leather and protected species

Products made from protected wild animals and plants.

  • Wild fauna and flora and their products in the Commodity Catalog of Import and Export Wild Fauna and Flora are managed under CITES and Chinese law, whether taken from the wild or bred.
  • Goods whose packing states that they contain such species are managed as those species are.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the species and supplier records for fur and leather with the style, so the evidence is on file when customs or a buyer asks. 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

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ManufacturerSupplying the documents that prove origin where it is not the exporter, and keeping them 3 years (GACC Decree No. 254, Article 11).Bills of materials and suppliers' documents kept with each style.
Exporter (consignor)Recordation with customs, a truthful export declaration and any licence the goods need.The shipment's documents kept together, dated, with the gaps shown before declaration.
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 clothing, footwear and textiles 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

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.
When must a certificate of origin for textiles be issued?
Under RCEP, before the goods are shipped. One issued afterwards for negligence or another valid cause is marked "ISSUED RETROACTIVELY", and the applicant may seek one within 1 year of shipment (GACC Decree No. 255, Articles 19 and 36).
What is the RCEP de minimis rule for textiles?
For goods in tariff Chapters 50 to 63, non-originating materials that fail the change in tariff classification may still be used if they weigh no more than 10% of the good (GACC Decree No. 255, Article 8).
Do fabrics from other RCEP countries count towards Chinese origin?
Yes. Originating materials from one RCEP member party used in production in another are treated as originating materials of that party (GACC Decree No. 255, Article 6).
Does sewing a label onto imported garments make them Chinese?
No. Affixing labels or marks, or packing for sale, does not on its own confer RCEP origin (GACC Decree No. 255, Article 5).
How long must origin records for textiles be kept?
3 years from the date the certificate or declaration of origin is issued, by the consignor, the manufacturer and any approved exporter (GACC Decree No. 255, Article 41).
Can a garment exporter issue its own origin declaration?
An approved exporter, which must be an Advanced Certified Enterprise, may issue declarations of origin under RCEP and the agreements with Iceland, Switzerland and Mauritius. Where it is not the manufacturer, it first obtains the manufacturer's origin documents (GACC Decree No. 254).
Can clothing with fur or exotic leather be exported from China?
Products of species in the Commodity Catalog of Import and Export Wild Fauna and Flora are managed under CITES and Chinese law, including bred animals.
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).
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.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

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