When you enter China on the way back from abroad, do not bring meat products (vacuum-packed ham and jerky count too), cheese, fresh fruit, or seeds; if you are carrying an animal or plant product, declare it in the red channel

On the way back, meat cannot be brought in whether it is raw or cooked. Ham, jerky, and sausage are the same no matter how tightly they are packed. Cheese, butter, fresh eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables, and seeds are on the banned list too. If you bring them, they will be sent back or destroyed. If you carry an animal or plant product and do not declare it, you may also be fined, up to 5000 yuan.

Cost

No money. When you buy local specialties abroad, skip these kinds, and go through the luggage once before you fly back. If you are carrying something you are not sure about, take the red channel at customs and wait in line a bit longer.

Benefit

In 2021 the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the General Administration of Customs published a banned list. It covers what you carry with you, what you check in, what you mail, what you send by courier, and what you buy directly by cross-border e-commerce. The kinds that matter most to an ordinary traveler are these. The first is meat. The original text is "(raw or cooked) meat (including offal) and products made from it," and the list does not make an exception by packaging. The second is milk and eggs. Cream, butter, cheese, and condensed milk are included, and so are preserved eggs, salted eggs, and mayonnaise. The third is "fresh fruit and vegetables" and fresh cut flowers. The fourth is seeds, seedlings, and other plant material that can grow. The fifth is live animals, except cats and dogs. Bird's nest is also banned, with the only exception canned bird's nest that has been treated to commercial sterility. Article 29 of the Law on the Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine states that bringing in something on the list is "handled by sending it back or destroying it." An animal or plant product that is not on the list may be brought in, but it still has to be declared. The customs measures on supervision of luggage and articles state that a person carrying animals, plants, or animal or plant products shall declare them to customs in writing. If the written declaration is still not finished when customs starts the inspection, it counts as not declared. The measures also say, in the original wording: "A person who does not know the customs rules, or does not know which channel to choose, shall choose the 'red channel.'" The penalty for not declaring is in Article 39 of the quarantine law: a person who "failed to apply for inspection" is fined. Article 59 of the implementing regulations of the quarantine law sets this kind of fine at 5000 yuan or less.

Notes

The list was checked against the announcement on the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs website on October (10) 14, 2026. Both departments say they will "adjust it dynamically." Check again before you leave. There are a few exceptions. Dried or cooked aquatic products are not on the banned list, for example dried squid and dried shrimp, but they still have to be declared. Something that has been approved, and that also has an official quarantine certificate from the exporting country, is not limited by the list. Each person may bring 1 cat or dog, and must have an official quarantine certificate and a vaccination certificate from the exporting country. When you leave China, many destination countries likewise do not allow meat products in. The way to check is the same as item 12 of this section (check the destination's rules before you take medicine abroad).

Sources · 5

1. 农业农村部、海关总署 (2021). 农业农村部 海关总署公告第 470 号（中华人民共和国禁止携带、寄递进境的动植物及其产品和其他检疫物名录）. moa.gov.cn/nybgb/2022/202202/202203/t20220324…
2. 全国人大常委会 (2009 年修正). 进出境动植物检疫法（第二十九、三十、三十九条）. flk.npc.gov.cn/detail?id=2c909fdd678bf1790167…
3. 国务院 (1996). 进出境动植物检疫法实施条例（国务院令第 206 号，第四十一、五十九条）. flk.npc.gov.cn/detail?id=ff8080816f3cbb3c016f…
4. 海关总署 (2025). 中华人民共和国海关进出境行李物品监管办法（海关总署令第 276 号，第九、十一、十二、二十五、二十七条）. gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202502/content_70056…
5. 海关总署 (2025). 关于进出境人员行李物品申报有关事宜的公告（海关总署公告 2025 年第 43 号，第一、三条）. gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202504/content_70171…