Chinese supermarkets drop Hong Kong vegetable labels under new customs rules
Since September 1, Mainland China has revoked the requirement for farms to register for the Hong Kong-bound vegetable label. Retailers like Sam's Club removed the tag from lettuce packs sold in domestic markets.
Mainland Chinese supermarkets have removed the Hong Kong-bound vegetable label following a restructuring of customs regulations effective September 1. The General Administration of Customs abolished mandatory registration for farms producing produce destined for Hong Kong. Consequently, only food-processing firms are now required to register before selling these products domestically. Consumers expressed alarm regarding the shift from pre-vetted quality assurance to self-inspection. Previously, shoppers in US warehouse retailer Sam's Club relied on the red label as a guarantee of safety and high standards after recurring food incidents. A female consumer on RedNote stated that checking details manually has replaced the need for the specific tag. Despite the regulatory change, product suppliers from Ningxia Hui autonomous region remain unchanged, including the 600-gram lettuce packs priced at 12.90 yuan ($1.90). The packaging and origin stay identical to previous shipments; only the 'Hong Kong-bound' identifier disappeared from shelves to reflect the new exemption for farm-to-processer supply chains.
