Alcohol regulations in China

Licences needed

Food Production License (SC Certificate), Business License (营业执照), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval, Fire Safety Permit, Water extraction/discharge permit

Authority

State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) / local Municipal Administration for Market Regulation

Documents

Application form, business license, land and plant property/lease deed, manufacturing equipment list, facility and production process flow diagrams, food safety management protocols and HACCP plans, water testing results, and in-house laboratory inspection personnel credentials

Fees

Zero statutory administrative fee (waived under administrative reforms; third-party environmental and testing audit fees apply)

Time to obtain

Statutorily 10 to 20 working days following formal document acceptance and on-site factory audit

Who can import

Chinese corporate entities registered with customs possessing foreign trade operator status and a Food Operation License (食品经营许可证) with alcohol distribution scope

Licences or registrations

GACC Decree 248 overseas manufacturer registration (CIFER platform), GACC Decree 249 overseas consignor and domestic consignee record-filing, and domestic Food Operation License

Authority

General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) and SAMR

Documents

Overseas producer: CIFER online application, corporate registration, facility photos, process flowcharts, compliance declaration; Importer: business license, customs registration certificate, food safety management system manuals

Fees

Zero official registration fee on GACC's CIFER portal

Time to obtain

1 to 3 months for overseas manufacturer registration; 5 to 15 working days for domestic importer consignee filing

Required

yes

Process

Electronic filing through China International Trade Single Window during customs clearance; GACC verifies product declaration and Chinese back-label conformity against GB 7718 and GB 2758; physical sample testing at port of entry precedes issuance of the Customs Inspection and Quarantine Certificate

Authority

GACC port customs; standards established jointly by NHC and SAMR

Documents and samples

Original foreign label artwork, Chinese back-label design and translation, Certificate of Origin, Certificate of Health/Sanitation, Certificate of Free Sale or Authenticity, third-party laboratory test report, and trade sample bottles for port inspection

Fees

No statutory label approval fee; port testing and quarantine laboratory inspection fees apply if sampled

Renewal

Overseas manufacturer facility registration is valid for 5 years and must be renewed 3 to 6 months prior to expiry; product labels are reviewed on a per-shipment clearance basis

Time to obtain

Typically 7 to 15 working days during customs port clearance

Importer of record must be an authorized, registered Chinese legal entity; no state monopoly on distilled spirits imports; each commercial shipment must be accompanied by a Certificate of Origin, Certificate of Health/Sanitation, and Certificate of Authenticity/Free Sale; no physical tax/strip stamps are used, but every container must bear an approved Chinese label containing the overseas producer's 18-digit GACC registration number before release

Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) customs duty is 10% ad valorem on CIF value for spirits under HS heading 2208 (whisky 2208.30, rum 2208.40, gin 2208.50, vodka 2208.60, Baijiu 2208.90.20); reduced or 0% under bilateral FTAs (e.g., RCEP, Australia, Chile, New Zealand); EU brandy subjected to anti-dumping security deposits / minimum price undertakings (27.7%–39%)

Distilled spirits face a compound Consumption Tax (Excise): 20% ad valorem on dutiable base plus a specific volume tax of RMB 1.00 per litre (RMB 0.50 per 500g/500ml); standard import VAT of 13% applied on (CIF + Customs Duty + Consumption Tax)

Open private retail system (no state retail monopoly); supermarkets, dedicated bottle shops, convenience stores, licensed hotels, restaurants, and bars holding a valid Food Operation License may sell spirits; no national laws restrict operating hours or days of alcohol sales

Allowed; e-commerce platforms (Tmall, JD.com, Douyin, WeChat stores) and on-demand delivery apps (Meituan, Ele.me) can sell and deliver spirits provided the merchant holds a valid Food Operation License, displays it on the storefront, and deploys real-name ID and age-gating checks to prohibit sales to minors

Mandatory Chinese label items: product name, ingredient list, alcohol strength (% vol), net volume (mL/cL/L), country of origin, production date, storage instructions, Chinese importer/distributor company name, address and telephone, and GACC overseas manufacturer registration number on inner and outer packaging; mandatory health warning under GB 2758 ('Excessive drinking harms health' / 过量饮酒有害健康 and warnings against underage drinking / drink-driving); exemption from expiration date for beverages ≥10% ABV

Regulated under Advertising Law of the PRC (Articles 23 and 40): alcohol advertisements must not induce or tempt drinking, depict the physical act of drinking, show driving of vehicles/boats/airplanes, or claim health/anxiety-relieving benefits; strictly forbidden in mass media, publications, or spaces targeted at minors, schools, or kindergartens; brand spokespersons must be 18 years or older and have actually used the product

Defined under GB/T 17204, GB/T 11856 (Brandy: min 38% ABV for commercial brandy), GB/T 11856.1-2025 / GB/T 11857 (Whisky: grain-distilled, min 40% ABV, distilled at <95% ABV), GB/T 11858 (Vodka: min 40% ABV), GB/T 11859 (Rum: min 40% ABV, from sugarcane/molasses), GB/T 10781 / GB/T 26760 (Baijiu: fermented grain spirit, ABV 25%–68%); GB 2758 and GB 2762 set national safety limits for methanol (≤0.6 g/L for grain-based spirits; ≤2.0 g/L for other agricultural bases, calculated at 100% ABV) and cyanide (≤8.0 mg/L)

No dry territorial jurisdictions, provinces, or dry counties; strict internal bans ('alcohol bans' / dry rules) apply to military facilities and government/Communist Party cadres during official duties, workdays, and public conferences

• In October 2024, MOFCOM imposed provisional anti-dumping security deposits (30.6%–39.0%) on EU-origin brandy, later concluding the probe in 2025 with definitive duties (27.7%–34.9%) and price undertakings for complying European producers.
• In January 2025, SAMR and SAC issued GB/T 11856.1-2025 (Quality Requirements for Distilled Spirits - Part 1: Whisky), replacing GB/T 11857-2008 with an effective date of February 1, 2026, establishing legal classifications for single malt, single grain, and flavored whisky alongside strict production controls.
• In March 2025, NHC and SAMR published the revised prepackaged food labeling standard GB 7718-2025 with an implementation date set for March 16, 2027, harmonizing mandatory packaging declarations and digital labeling options.
• By late 2025 / 2026, Hainan Free Trade Port implemented full island customs closure, expanding zero-tariff import access across covered product categories subject to a 30% local value-added processing threshold for mainland duty-free entry.

China remains the world's largest spirits market by volume, with robust long-term demand for imported single malt whisky, premium gin, and boutique spirits driven by younger urban consumers seeking diverse, high-end international brands.

• General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC)
• State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR)
• National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China (NHC)
• Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China (MOFCOM)

1. US TTB - International Affairs Division: China Alcohol Import Requirements
2. GACC Decree 248 and 249 Overview - EU SME Centre
3. China CDC Weekly - Alcohol Policies and Alcohol-Related Harms in China
4. Advertising Law of the People's Republic of China - China Law Translate
5. GB/T 11856.1-2025 Quality Requirements for Distilled Spirits - Part 1: Whisky
6. China MOFCOM Anti-Dumping Investigations and Measures on EU Brandy
7. China Customs Import Tariff and Taxes Landed Cost Schedule