Importing bird's nest into China: quarantine access rules, overseas factory registration, CAIQ traceability codes (green, blue, pink labels) and dry, dark bonded storage essentials for tonic products.
Bird's nest is the most tightly regulated category in the tonic food space. GACC runs a quarantine access system for it: only bird's nest from countries and regions that pass quarantine assessment may enter China, and overseas producers must register in China (GACC, via Huangpu Customs 12360, November 2025). Traceability codes, laboratory testing and professional storage are all mandatory in practice. This article explains the import requirements, how to read CAIQ traceability codes and the bonded-storage essentials. Treat current GACC and CAIQ (Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine) publications as authoritative, and note that policies prevail as officially published by the General Administration of Customs.
Import Requirements for Bird's Nest
The first gate is quarantine access. Approved bird's nest must be on the catalog of countries or regions with established trade whose products are eligible for entry, and overseas producers must complete registration in China through the overseas food producer registration system. It is a hard gate: batches from unlisted origins or unregistered producers run into trouble at declaration. For the registration mechanics, see our reference on overseas food producer registration.
Approved origins today span Southeast Asia, and the access list keeps expanding. Cambodia was added in May 2025 under GACC Announcement No. 85 of 2025 (raw and edible bird's nest), and in April 2026 GACC Announcement No. 37 of 2026 reaffirmed and updated Malaysia's raw and edible nest access, including a requirement that every consignment carry an original veterinary health certificate. Indonesia remains the largest single supplier. The practical takeaway for importers: check the current catalog before contracting a new origin, because listing status changes faster than most supply chains expect.
The second gate is traceability. Inner and outer packaging of imported bird's nest must state, in Chinese and English, the product name, weight, the registered number of the bird's house (or cave), the processor's name, address and registration number, storage conditions and production date. Primary processors of raw edible bird's nest and edible nest processors must maintain a traceability chain from the bird's house to export (Huangpu Customs 12360).
CAIQ Traceability Codes: Green, Blue, Pink
The traceability code is issued by the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine (CAIQ). Scanning it shows the whole journey: harvest at the bird's house, factory processing, export declaration and entry quarantine. The three colors mean three things: a green label marks legally imported clean edible bird's nest, a blue label marks imported raw edible bird's nest, and a pink label marks products processed domestically in China (CAIQ, caqit.org.cn). Consumers look for the green label; importers and their fulfillment partners must keep one code per item and make sure the code follows the goods.
The system itself is a product of the industry's hardest lesson. After the 2011 "blood nest" incident, China suspended bird's nest imports, then reopened the trade from 2013 onward by pairing quarantine access with traceability: CNCA-registered processors must apply a unique CAIQ traceability label, one item one code, to each batch that passes laboratory inspection (CAIQ history, via Baidu Baike and Science and Technology Daily). Consumers can enter the 16-digit code printed on the label to check customs quarantine data, production batch and authenticity. For a tonic bought at a premium price, that code is the difference between a clean shelf and a compliance headache.
At import clearance, customs laboratories test bird's nest against national standards: citric acid (GB 5009.157-2016), nitrite (GB 5009.33-2016) and heavy metals (GB 5009.268-2016), among others (Huangpu Customs 12360). Batches that fail are not released, so upstream quality control and storage conditions both have to hold. Aluminum is a live example: in 2026, 18 Indonesian processors were suspended from exporting to China after GACC testing found aluminum above the 100 ppm safety threshold in some consignments (CAWA-EBMC, August 2026). Quality risk in this category is real, current and expensive.
Trade Context: A Premium Market Under Pressure
Bird's nest trade numbers help size the opportunity. In 2025 China imported about 590 tonnes of edible bird's nest, up 7.1% year on year, of which roughly 246 tonnes went into deep processing such as bird's nest porridge and drinks, up about 35% (industry data shared at the 2026 China-Indonesia Bird's Nest Trade Summit, via CAWA-EBMC, August 2026). Indonesia exported about 502 tonnes of bird's nest to China in 2025, roughly 40% of its 1,271-tonne global trade and up from a 17.19% China share in 2020 (Indonesian Quarantine Agency, via CAWA-EBMC, August 2026).
The market is also getting pickier. Indonesian bird's nest prices fell from about USD 2,010 per kg in 2018 to about USD 902 per kg in 2025, and as consumers trade down from gift-giving to everyday consumption, brands compete on traceability, certification and food-safety records rather than origin alone (CAWA-EBMC, August 2026). For an importer, that means holding compliant, code-verified stock close to demand — which is precisely the role of a bonded warehouse. If you are sourcing a new bird's nest line, contact us to map the bonded stocking and declaration flow before you commit to a container.
Bonded Storage Essentials: Dry, Dark, Moisture Protected
Dry bird's nest fears moisture most of all. High humidity invites mold and pests, and prolonged light can alter color and nutritional value. Industry practice is cool, dry, dark, sealed storage, stacked off the floor and away from walls, on a first-expired-first-out basis. Because bird's nest is high-value and each piece is expensive, the warehouse must also guard against loss and damage and keep batch records, with each traceability code accounted for.
The bonded warehouse adds deferred duty on top: bird's nest enters in bonded status and duty is settled later when sales or distribution plans are confirmed, which relieves working capital. In-zone, staff can apply labels, repack and kit products — for example, splitting one bonded lot into retail gift boxes with fresh Chinese labeling before declaration. For the importer, that settles quality, compliance and capital in one place. The compliance points are easiest to follow as a checklist.
| Item | Requirement | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Quarantine access | Origin country on the access catalog | Exporter/importer |
| Producer registration | Overseas registration completed in China | Overseas producer |
| CAIQ code | Green/blue/pink label complete, code follows goods | Producer/importer |
| Laboratory testing | Nitrite, heavy metals, aluminum within limits | Customs laboratory |
| Veterinary certificate | Per-consignment original (e.g., Malaysia) | Exporter |
| Bonded storage | Dry, dark, moisture protected | Bonded warehouse |
| In-zone processing | Labeling, repacking, kitting before declaration | Bonded warehouse |
FAQ: Bird's Nest and Tonic Storage Questions
Does imported bird's nest always need a traceability code? Under current rules, legally imported bird's nest carries a CAIQ code: green for clean edible nest, blue for raw nest, pink for domestic processing. Follow current publications.
Why were some Indonesian exporters suspended in 2026? GACC testing found aluminum above the 100 ppm threshold in some consignments, and 18 processors were suspended (CAWA-EBMC, August 2026).
Which countries can export bird's nest to China? Approved origins span Southeast Asia; Cambodia was added in May 2025 (GACC Announcement No. 85 of 2025) and Malaysia's access was reaffirmed in April 2026 (GACC Announcement No. 37 of 2026). Policies prevail as officially published by the General Administration of Customs.
How should bird's nest be stored? Dry, dark, moisture protected and sealed, stacked off the floor and away from walls; high value also calls for loss prevention and batch control.
Does imported bird's nest require overseas registration? Yes. Producers in approved countries must register in China; unregistered batches run into trouble at declaration.
Can bird's nest use a bonded warehouse? Yes. Bonded storage defers duty, and in-zone labeling, repacking and kitting are possible.
How is storage charged? By area, throughput and value-added services; final pricing is based on actual quotation and subject to our quotation.
Keep Bird's Nest Compliant, Stored and Secure
Yunxiu (Shanghai) Information Technology Co., Ltd., founded on May 22, 2015, operates a 4,170m² bonded warehouse, a 1,500m² non-bonded warehouse and a 1,000m² temperature-controlled facility, holding AEO Advanced Certification, ISO9001, Class-A freight-forwarder and supervised-bonded-warehouse qualifications. Filing takes 3 working days, entry 1 working day, sorting 24 hours. Bird's nest stored here can be labeled, repacked and batch-managed. Free consultation: +86 18917757529 / jaysun@yun-xiu.cn — ask for a bonded bird's nest storage plan or review bonded storage for supplements. For bilingual label requirements, see our import labeling compliance guide.
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This article was written by the Yunxiu Supply Chain Research Center. Policy content subject to official GACC and CAIQ publications. Data updated to 2026.
