Wine Export to China

General Instructions for the “Wine Export Certificate” for U.S. Wine Products Exported from the United States to the People’s Republic of China

1. TTB Authority: The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Federal Alcohol Administration Act, 27 U.S.C. section 201 et seq. and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. Chapter 51. This includes the regulations in Title 27 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) related to the production and sale of alcohol in interstate or foreign commerce, specifically 27 CFR part 4, 27 CFR part 24, and the export regulations of 27 CFR part 28. These laws include permit requirements for exporters of wine.

2. The People’s Republic of China Wine Export Certificate: The People’s Republic of China (China) generally requires United States exporters of wine to file several certificates as a condition of that wine entering China. Since March 1, 2014, China has accepted the one-page “Wine Export Certificate” (Consolidated Certificate), in lieu of the several certificates it required previously, from U.S. industry members for U.S. wine products exported from the U.S. to China. The Consolidated Certificate is a multi-purpose document, which can be used as a certificate of origin, certificate of health/sanitation, and certificate of authenticity/free sale in China.

   When a shipment of wine arrives at a port in China, the exporter should ensure that the form is submitted to the General Administration of Customs.

   You may download a template of the Consolidated Certificate here.

3. Filling out the Consolidated Certificate: Please fill out the Consolidated Certificate with all the required information and sign it as indicated below.

   1. Required Information:

      For wineries that directly export wine they produce or bottle to China, please put “same” in all boxes in the “Exporter/Wholesaler” section.

      For exporters/wholesalers that export wine they did not produce or bottle to China, please provide your information in the “Exporter/Wholesaler” section and the information of the winery/bottler/producer that produced or bottled the wine in the “Winery/Bottler/Producer” section.

      In the “China Importer/Consignee” section, please provide information on the Chinese importer/consignee who will receive the wine.

      In the “Description of Wine” section, there are five mandatory items (name, brand, origin, net volume, and alcohol content) and three items for use where applicable (varietal or type, vintage, and appellation).

      In the “Quantity” section, please use the format “# Bottles/Case, # Cases”.

      In the “Bottling Date” section, we understand that China requires date information, but lot code information is optional.

   2. Signing: Once you have filled in the required information, print the form and manually (not digitally) apply the signature of an individual who has signing authority on the company’s TTB permit. We understand that China will only accept the form if it contains original (non-digital) signatures and seals from TTB, but non-TTB signatures may be digital scans of original signatures.

4. Submission to TTB and Return of the Completed Form:

   1. E-Mail: Once you have filled out the Consolidated Certificate as indicated above you may scan the signed document and submit it as a PDF file attached to an email to TTB via the email address exportcertificates@ttb.gov.

      As China requires Consolidated Certificates to have an original TTB signature and original TTB seal, TTB will return your Consolidated Certificate (with TTB’s signature and seal) via physical mail. However, you may specifically request an emailed copy for your records.

      If you would like your Consolidated Certificate with TTB’s signature and seal returned to you by express mail, please prepare an overnight bill from the commercial carrier of your choice, including your own billing/account information, and attach it to your email request. Otherwise, we will return the forms through the U.S. Postal Service to the return address indicated on your request.

   2. U.S. Mail or Commercial Carrier: Consolidated Certificates may also be submitted to TTB by mail or commercial carrier.

      For submissions via the U.S. Postal Service, please use the address below:
      Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)
      International Affairs Division
      Attn: Export Certificate Program
      1310 G Street NW, Box 12
      Washington, DC 20005

      For submissions by commercial carriers (for example, UPS or FedEx), please use the address below:
      Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)
      International Affairs Division
      Attn: Export Certificate Program
      1310 G Street NW, Suite 300E
      Washington, DC 20005

5. TTB Processing and Approval: Under normal circumstances, we will review and process the Consolidated Certificate requests within fifteen business days of receipt.

   To obtain TTB’s approval, the submitter must:

   1. Possess a TTB permit, or registration that is in good standing (and that the producer/bottler, if different from the exporter, has a permit in good standing); and
   2. Have the Consolidated Certificate signed by a person with signing authority according to the submitter’s TTB permit, or registration.