CIQ (China Inspection and Quarantine)

The China Inspection and Quarantine (CIQ) bureau is a Chinese government agency responsible for inspection, quarantine, appraisal, and supervision of inbound and outbound goods, means of transport, personnel, and carried items. Its core responsibilities include commodity inspection, animal and plant quarantine, health quarantine, food safety supervision, and issuance of certificates of origin. Usage scenarios: import/export customs declaration, inspection application for statutory inspection goods, cross-border logistics, cross-border e-commerce, letter of credit settlement (e.g., requiring CIQ certificates), etc. Notes: CIQ certificates are essential documents for customs clearance in many countries; before export, confirm whether the goods are in the statutory inspection catalog. After the 2018 institutional reform, CIQ functions were merged into the General Administration of Customs (GACC), but in foreign trade practice, CIQ is still commonly used to refer to inspection and quarantine requirements. Difference from other terms: CIQ focuses on inspection and quarantine, while Customs focuses on tariffs and regulation; CIQ certificates differ from third-party inspection reports issued by commercial inspection companies (e.g., SGS)—the former is legally mandatory, while the latter is mostly customer-designated.