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Exporting food from Taiwan

Food exported from Taiwan stays under the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation. On request, TFDA issues sanitary certificates, test reports and certificates of free sale for processed food; animal and plant products may need quarantine certificates, and seafood plants can hold BSMI certification. The exporter registers with TITA and declares the goods to Customs.

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

Food law
Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation
Processed food certificates
TFDA, applied for online
Animal and plant products
Quarantine certificates where the importing country asks
Seafood plants
BSMI EU or HACCP certification, valid three years
Exporter
Registered with TITA
Origin
Certificates of origin from TITA or an entrusted body

Before the goods leave

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

  1. 1Does the destination ask for a TFDA sanitary certificate, test report or certificate of free sale? Read more
  2. 2Is the food business registered, and does the factory have a GHP record or second-tier verification? Read more
  3. 3Does the product contain animal or plant material that needs a quarantine certificate? Read more
  4. 4Is it seafood from a plant the destination requires to be certified or listed? Read more
  5. 5Is the exporter registered, and is the product on any export restriction list? Read more
  6. 6Does the buyer need a certificate of origin, or preferential origin under an agreement? Read more

The rules, by area

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

TFDA export certificates for processed food

The English-language certificates TFDA issues for processed food and food additives going abroad.

  • TFDA issues sanitary certificates, manufactured sanitary certificates, test reports and certificates of free sale and manufacture for processed food.
  • Applications are made online through the Application System for Export Food Sanitary Certificates (Asefsc), fully online since 1 July 2019.
  • Business and factory registration, food additive registrations and permits are drawn from the Food and Drug Operator Registration Platform (FadenBook), so many declarations are ticked online rather than attached.
  • A manufacturer with valid second-tier quality control verification (accepted since 1 October 2017), or a GHP inspection record from the health authority (accepted since 15 April 2019), can have a sanitary certificate issued on paper review without another on-site check.
  • For the GHP route, the record must date from the six months before the application.
  • Since 1 October 2019 the system notifies applicants by email to pay and collect certificates, with seven payment channels.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps each TFDA certificate and test report with the lot it covers, dated, and shows the GHP record or verification it relies on before it goes out of date. Ask about this

Food law that applies to exports

The Taiwanese food rules that apply to food made for export as well as food sold at home.

  • Food business operators include businesses that import or export food (Article 3).
  • Food that is deteriorated, toxic, contaminated, adulterated, past its expiry date, or over pesticide or veterinary drug residue limits must not be exported (Article 15).
  • Operators meet the good hygiene practice regulations; designated categories also run a food safety control system, register before operating, or hold certification (Article 8).
  • Operators keep source documents for raw materials and products, and designated categories run a traceability system (Article 9).
  • Foods designated by public announcement cannot be exported without product registration and a permit, valid one to five years (Article 21).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the registration, hygiene and traceability records behind each export lot, so they can be shown when a buyer or certifier asks. Ask about this

Quarantine and seafood certification

Certificates for animal and plant products, and the certification of seafood plants.

  • If an importing country requests a phytosanitary certificate, the exporter applies to the plant quarantine authority, which issues one after inspection (Plant Protection and Quarantine Act, Article 20).
  • Animal products designated as quarantine objects, or for which the importing country asks for a certificate, are exported only after inspection and an export animal quarantine certificate (Act on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Animal Diseases, Article 36).
  • The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency handles export animal and plant quarantine and publishes its list of recognised export establishments.
  • BSMI certifies the hygiene and safety systems of seafood processing plants and cold stores for export: EU certification, HACCP certification and warehouse certification.
  • A certified plant is registered with a plant number and a certificate valid for three years, with at least one surveillance audit each calendar year.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps each quarantine certificate and the plant's certification with the shipment, and shows a certification that expires before the next one. 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, registration on FadenBook, and the GHP record or verification behind a sanitary certificate.Factory records kept with each lot, ready for the certificate application.
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 processed food certificates; the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency for quarantine; BSMI for seafood plants.Each authority's certificate kept beside the shipment it covers.

Where are the goods going?

Most of what food 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 export certificates for food from Taiwan?
TFDA issues sanitary certificates, manufactured sanitary certificates, test reports and certificates of free sale and manufacture for processed food. Quarantine certificates for animal and plant products come from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency.
How do I apply for a TFDA certificate of free sale for food?
Online, through TFDA's Application System for Export Food Sanitary Certificates (Asefsc). Applications have been fully online since 1 July 2019, and registration data is drawn from the FadenBook operator registration platform.
Does TFDA inspect the factory before issuing a sanitary certificate?
Not always. A manufacturer with valid second-tier quality control verification, or a GHP inspection record from the health authority in the six months before the application, can have the certificate issued on paper review.
Does food made only for export have to meet Taiwan's food law?
Yes, in part. Article 15 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation bars exporting food that is deteriorated, toxic, contaminated, adulterated, expired or over residue limits, and food business operators include exporters.
Do I need a phytosanitary certificate to export food from Taiwan?
Where the importing country requests one for plants or plant products. The exporter applies to the plant quarantine authority, which issues the certificate after inspection (Plant Protection and Quarantine Act, Article 20).
Do animal products need a quarantine certificate for export?
Designated quarantine objects, and products for which the importing country asks for one, are exported only after inspection and an export animal quarantine certificate (Act on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Animal Diseases, Article 36).
How are seafood plants certified for export from Taiwan?
BSMI certifies seafood processing plants and cold stores under EU, HACCP or warehouse certification. A certified plant gets a plant number and a certificate valid for three years, with annual surveillance audits.
Do I need an export permit to export food from Taiwan?
Not for a registered exporter shipping goods that are not on TITA's List of Commodities Subject to Export Restriction. Listed goods follow the rules set out on that list.
How do I get a certificate of origin for food exported from Taiwan?
Apply through TITA's online system to TITA or an entrusted issuing body, as the exporter on the export declaration, normally within 180 days after Customs releases the goods. The fee is NT$250.
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.

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