On May 6, 2026, General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) issued Decree No. 284, publishing the Measures for the Inspection and Quarantine Supervision and Administration of Import and Export Cosmetics of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter the "Measures"), which will take effect on December 1, 2026.
The previous Measures for the Inspection and Quarantine Supervision and Administration of Import and Export Cosmetics, originally issued by the former General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) as Decree No. 143 in 2011, is simultaneously repealed.
The Measures consist of six chapters and thirty-seven articles, providing comprehensive provisions on the inspection, quarantine, supervision, and administration of import and export cosmetics. CIRS Group has summarized the key content of the Measures for reference.
I. General Provisions
The Measures apply to cosmetics listed in the Catalog of Commodities Subject to Inspection and Quarantine by Customs, as well as cosmetics subject to customs inspection and quarantine as required by relevant international treaties, laws, and regulations. Customs shall inspect import and export cosmetics in accordance with the principle of risk management and the conformity assessment procedures prescribed by the Law of the People's Republic of China on Import and Export Commodity Inspection.
II. Inspection and Quarantine of Import Cosmetics
Import cosmetics shall have completed special cosmetic registration or ordinary cosmetic filing as required by law. Customs shall verify through automatic electronic data comparison.
Customs shall inspect import cosmetics in accordance with the mandatory requirements of China's national technical specifications.
Where import cosmetics fail inspection on safety, health, or environmental protection items, Customs shall order their destruction or return. For non-compliance in other items, technical processing may be carried out under Customs supervision, and the products may only be sold or used after passing re-inspection.
Importers shall accurately record import cosmetic information. Records shall be kept for no less than one year after the expiration of the product's shelf life.
Samples for registration or filing, as well as non-trial samples for enterprise testing, R&D, and promotional purposes, are exempt from inspection by Customs, provided the quantities fall within a reasonable range of use.
Cosmetics imported as official supplies by foreign diplomatic and consular missions in China and international organizations enjoying diplomatic privileges and immunities are exempt from inspection.
III. Inspection and Quarantine of Export Cosmetics
Export cosmetics shall comply with the standards or contractual requirements of the importing country (region). Export cosmetics manufacturers shall establish and maintain an effective quality management system.
For cosmetics processed from supplied materials and fully re-exported, where documentary proof demonstrating compliance with the regulations or standards of the intended destination country (region) can be provided, the imported materials may be exempt from inspection against Chinese standards.
IV. Supervision and Administration
Customs shall conduct spot-check inspections on import and export cosmetics that are not mandatorily subject to Customs inspection. Also, customs shall carry out safety risk monitoring for import and export cosmetics and may, based on risk assessment conclusions, take measures such as increasing inspection items, issuing risk warnings, or suspending imports.
Furthermore, customs shall implement credit management and classified management measures for operators of import and export cosmetics.
VI. Legal Liability
Import cosmetics consignees that fail to fulfill the obligations of return or destruction shall be subject to a warning or a fine of up to CNY 10,000 by Customs. Operators of import and export cosmetics who commit other unlawful acts shall be handled in accordance with relevant laws and administrative regulations. Where a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued.
VII. Supplementary Provisions
The inspection, quarantine, supervision, and administration of cross-border e-commerce retail import cosmetics and cosmetics imported as exhibits shall be carried out in accordance with relevant regulations.
Import and export soap is not subject to these Measures, except for soap claiming special cosmetic efficacy. Import and export toothpaste and cosmetic semi-finished products shall be managed with reference to these Measures. Customs shall exempt cosmetic semi-finished products from registration or filing verification and label verification at the import stage.
The Measures provide definitions for certain terms: cosmetics refer to daily chemical industrial products applied to the surface of the human body such as skin, hair, nails, and lips by means of smearing, spraying, or other similar methods, for the purpose of cleaning, protecting, beautifying, or embellishing; cosmetic semi-finished products refer to products that have completed all production and processing steps except the final "filling" or "packaging" step.
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