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Exporting soft drinks and other beverages from Taiwan

In Taiwan a drink of 0.5% alcohol by volume or less is food, under the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation; above that it is alcohol. TFDA issues English sanitary certificates, test reports and certificates of free sale for processed food on request, and the exporter registers with TITA and declares the goods to Customs.

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

Food or alcohol
Alcohol above 0.5% ABV; otherwise food
Food law
Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation
Export certificates
TFDA, applied for online
Exporter
Registered with TITA
Declaration
To Customs through the CPT Single Window

Before the goods leave

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

  1. 1Is the drink above 0.5% alcohol by volume, and so alcohol rather than food? Read more
  2. 2Does the destination ask for a TFDA sanitary certificate, test report or certificate of free sale? Read more
  3. 3Is the exporter registered with TITA, and is the declaration ready? Read more
  4. 4Does the buyer need a certificate of origin, or preferential origin? Read more

The rules, by area

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

Food law for beverages

Where the line between a beverage and alcohol falls, and which food rules apply to drinks made for export.

  • Alcohol means beverages with an alcohol content of more than 0.5% by volume (Tobacco and Alcohol Administration Act, Article 4); drinks at or below that are food.
  • Food business operators include businesses that export food (Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, Article 3).
  • Food that is deteriorated, toxic, contaminated, adulterated or past its expiry date must not be exported (Article 15).
  • Operators meet the good hygiene practice regulations and keep source documents for raw materials and products (Articles 8 and 9).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the specification, hygiene records and test reports behind each beverage with the lot, dated. Ask about this

TFDA export certificates

The English-language certificates TFDA issues for processed food, including drinks.

  • TFDA issues sanitary certificates, manufactured sanitary certificates, test reports and certificates of free sale and manufacture for processed food.
  • Applications have been fully online through the Application System for Export Food Sanitary Certificates (Asefsc) since 1 July 2019.
  • A manufacturer with valid second-tier quality control verification, or a GHP inspection record from the six months before the application, can have a sanitary certificate issued on paper review.
  • Since 1 October 2019 applicants are notified by email to pay and collect certificates.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps each certificate with the lot it covers and reads it against what the destination asks for. Ask about this

Exporter registration and the export declaration

Who may export, when an export permit is needed, and what goes to Customs.

  • A company or business registered with the International Trade Administration (TITA, formerly the Bureau of Foreign Trade) as an exporter/importer may engage in export business; its English name is reviewed first (Foreign Trade Act, Article 9).
  • Registration is applied for electronically; TITA publishes the registration data online and transmits it automatically to Customs.
  • A registered firm exporting goods not on the List of Commodities Subject to Export Restriction needs no export permit; listed goods follow the regulations on that list (Regulations Governing Export of Commodities, Articles 5 and 6).
  • An export permit is valid for 30 days from licensing and cannot be extended (Article 19).
  • The exporter declares the trademark on the export declaration, or "without trademark" (Article 10).
  • Exporters declare goods to Customs before the clearance or departure of the means of transport, with the export declaration, loading list, booking note, packing list and any export permits (Customs Act, Articles 16 and 17).
  • Declarations, trade licensing, inspection and quarantine services run through the Customs-Port-Trade (CPT) Single Window, operated by the Customs Administration.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the exporter registration, any export permit and the export declaration with the shipment, dated, and shows a permit that will lapse before the goods leave. Ask about this

Origin marking and certificates of origin

How goods for export are marked with their origin, and how a certificate of origin is issued.

  • Goods for export are marked with the country of origin on the goods or their packaging, conspicuously and durably; goods made in Taiwan are marked "Made in Taiwan", "Made in Taiwan, Republic of China" or an equivalent (Regulations Governing Export of Commodities, Articles 14 and 15).
  • TITA, or a body it entrusts, issues certificates of origin and certificates of processing for exports (Foreign Trade Act, Article 20-2).
  • Goods originate in Taiwan if wholly obtained there, or if the last substantial transformation happened there: a change in the first six digits of the tariff number, or added value above 35% (Certificates of Origin Regulations, Articles 3 and 5).
  • Packing, re-labelling, simple assembly or mixing, and simple cutting do not count as substantial transformation (Article 5).
  • The applicant is the exporter on the export declaration, normally within 180 days after Customs releases the goods; the fee is NT$250 per certificate (Articles 11, 23 and 29).
  • The applicant keeps the documents proving origin for five years (Article 28).
  • Customs publishes the rules of origin for Taiwan's agreements, including ECFA, ANZTEC with New Zealand, ASTEP with Singapore, and the agreements with Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras, Paraguay and Eswatini.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the origin evidence behind each certificate with the lot, dated, and shows a certificate request coming up against its 180-day window. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ExporterRegistration with TITA, the export declaration, any export permit, and the certificate of origin application.Registration, permits and certificates kept with each shipment, dated.
ManufacturerHygiene practice, records of raw materials, and the GHP record or verification behind a sanitary certificate.Factory records kept with each lot.
Customs broker or freight forwarderLodging the export declaration and its documents through the CPT Single Window on the exporter's behalf.The documents the declaration needs, in one place before the goods leave.
Certifying authorityTFDA, for sanitary certificates, test reports and certificates of free sale.TFDA certificates kept beside the shipment they cover.

Where are the goods going?

Most of what soft drinks and other beverages 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

Is a low-alcohol drink food or alcohol in Taiwan?
Alcohol means a beverage with more than 0.5% alcohol by volume (Tobacco and Alcohol Administration Act, Article 4). A drink at or below 0.5% is food under the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation.
Who issues export certificates for beverages from Taiwan?
TFDA issues sanitary certificates, manufactured sanitary certificates, test reports and certificates of free sale and manufacture for processed food, which covers soft drinks and juices.
How do I apply for a TFDA sanitary certificate for drinks?
Online, through TFDA's Application System for Export Food Sanitary Certificates (Asefsc). Registration data comes from the FadenBook platform, and payment and collection are notified by email.
Can TFDA issue a sanitary certificate without inspecting the factory?
Yes, on paper review, where the manufacturer holds valid second-tier quality control verification or has a GHP inspection record from the health authority in the six months before the application.
Do beverages made only for export have to meet Taiwan's food law?
The food law applies to exporters too: Article 15 bars exporting food that is deteriorated, toxic, contaminated, adulterated or past its expiry date.
Do I need an export permit for beverages?
Not as a registered exporter, unless the goods are on TITA's List of Commodities Subject to Export Restriction. Listed goods follow the rules on that list.
How do I declare beverages for export from Taiwan?
The exporter, or a customs broker, declares the goods to Customs before the means of transport leaves, with the export declaration, loading list, booking note, packing list and any permits (Customs Act, Articles 16 and 17).
How are beverages for export marked with origin?
With the country of origin on the goods or their packaging, conspicuously and durably; goods made in Taiwan are marked "Made in Taiwan" or an equivalent (Regulations Governing Export of Commodities, Articles 14 and 15).
How does Compliant Always help with exporting from Taiwan?
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.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in Taiwan and what your paperwork needs to show.

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