AQSIQ Certificate
What does AQSIQ stand for?
AQSIQ is an acronym for General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China. This is the governmental body overlooking the importation of cargoes into China and making sure imported goods comply with rules, laws and environmental regulations of China.
Who needs to register with AQSIQ?
Any foreign companies exporting any kind of recyclables to China must register with AQSIQ.
The AQSIQ registration process is intended to ensure that recyclables exported to China are free from contaminants and imposes little or no risk to China’s environment and health of the general public. The registering company should have sufficient environmental control and quality control over their products to achieve these means.
Here’s a sample of a “License of Registration for Overseas Supplier Enterprise of Imported Solid Wastes as Raw Materials.”
How long does AQSIQ registration take?
Usually between 6 months to 1 year.
How do I register for an AQSIQ certificate?
The first step is to fill out an AQSIQ application form. Submit your application form along with supporting documents (a total of 17 documents) by mail to AQSIQ headquarters in Beijing.
The application package includes information such as business registration, quality control/environmental control procedures, quality certificates, statements made to Chinese government, etc.
All submitted material must be in Chinese or Chinese and your national language.
If Chinese is not for primary language, I suggest finding a third party AQSIQ registration company to help you through the process.
What are the 17 documents I need to submit?
- The Provisional Registration of Overseas Supplier Enterprises of Imported Scrap Materials application form.
- Copy of your business registration.
- Document on environmental management system or certified certificate on environmental management system.
- Document on source of supply and environment protection control measures.
- A general description and relevant certificating documents on the safety, hygiene, environmental protection, and quality of scrap materials exported to China within the past three years.
- Organizational structure, responsibilities of departments and job positions.
- An undertaking to abide by the technical regulations on environmental protection, applicable environmental protection controls standards and the relevant laws and regulations of China.
- Information on permanent office and processing locations (must show floor plans).
- Certificates relating to type, quantity, and environmental quality of commodity.
- Quality control management system and relevant technical personnel (including control over dangerous waste, contaminated waste and arrangement on discarded waste).
- Verification and acceptance system for raw materials.
- Measurement and equipment calibration system.
- Rules on control over substandard commodity.
- Staff training program.
- Undertaking on control over environmental quality of goods.
- Undertaking on bearing the cost incurred in the disposal of goods failing to meet environmental quality requirements.
- Text of Chinese environmental control standards, directories on items prohibited from import and directories of hazardous waste materials
A chart showing the flow of events for the application process.
Will AQSIQ inspect my facility?
Not necessarily, facilities are chosen at random by AQSIQ for inspection. There are no additional costs for inspection.
Does my company need to be registered to ISO 9001?
Yes, AQSIQ requires companies to first be registered with ISO 9001.
What if recyclables are exported to China without an AQSIQ certificate?
The recyclables will be denied entry into China. Any requests for later inspection or quarantine will also be denied.
After obtaining an AQSIQ certificate, can I skip CCIC inspection?
No, before any recyclables can be imported into China, the cargo must first be inspected by CCIC, an independent (non-government) inspection and certification organization accredited by AQSIQ for carrying out Pre-Shipment Inspections on all recyclables exported to China.
**AQSIQ approval does not exempt you from CCIC pre-shipment inspections. **
What if I’m not qualified for an AQSIQ certificate?
AQSIQ registration is not for everyone. If you’re not a qualified candidate for AQSIQ registration, the easiest method is to allow an AQSIQ holder to transport your commodity on your behalf. While there is usually a fee associated, the cost is typically no more than several hundred dollars per container.
To get more information on obtaining the required certificates for exporting scrap to China, send me an email at andrew[@]recycledplastic.com (remove brackets).
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