According to the General Administration of Customs, the shelled sunflower seeds from Bulgaria officially obtained the qualification to enter China.

In July this year, during the visit of Prime Minister Li Keqiang at Bulgaria, the two sides signed a Protocol between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food of the Republic of Bulgaria on the Plant Quarantine Requirements for the Shelled Sunflower Seeds from Bulgaria to China. Shelled sunflower seeds are one of the important raw materials for edible vegetable oil. Imported shelled sunflower seeds can supplement China's oilseed supply and enrich the people's dining table.

In 2014, the Bulgarian side officially submitted an application for exporting shelled sunflower seeds to China. The Bureau of Import and Export Food Safety of the General Administration of Customs thus organized experts to carry out a comprehensive risk assessment on the shelled sunflower seeds from Bulgaria. In July this year, the two sides reached an agreement on a protocol and signed the protocol under the witness by the prime ministers from the two countries. According to the protocol, the General Administration of Customs had formulated and issued the “Announcement on the Plant Quarantine Requirements for Importing Shelled Sunflower Seeds from Bulgaria”. The shelled sunflower seeds from Bulgaria that meet the requirements of the Announcement can thereafter be officially exported to China.

All importing enterprises were reminded by the General Administration of Customs to strictly abide by the relevant contents of the Announcement and to ensure that the relevant products meet the quarantine requirements of the Announcement.