aqsiq

What aqsiq does

AQSIQ Association Inc (dba AQSIQ) is a privately held, China-domiciled services firm that helps overseas food exporters, manufacturers, and — increasingly — cosmetics companies obtain the AQSIQ/GACC registration and certification numbers required to legally ship products into the People's Republic of China. Its core products include a $480 USD online food-exporter registration application (valid for five years), manufacturer registration under Decree 248 across high-, medium-, and low-risk food categories, certificate application/renewal/download services, and an 18-digit exporter number update service tied to GACC No. 105 regulatory changes. The company generates revenue through per-application fees, annual membership subscriptions that grant access to a 3,600+-member network across 65 countries, industry reports, and weekly regulatory news roundups.

Underlying the registration business is an in-house AQSIQ Laboratory operation with physical facilities in Beijing (primary testing site) and Hicksville, New York (overseas sample acceptance). The laboratories offer food microbiology testing, chemistry analysis, natural-toxins and mycotoxin screening via ELISA and LC/MS, allergen detection, nutritional analysis with camera-ready China-compliant nutrition-facts panels, shelf life studies, and PCR-based GMO, meat-speciation, and adulteration testing. Supporting the core business are proprietary data products — a 1,281-category approved imported food list organized by GACC risk tier, an imported food recall database, and a public certificate verification database — which collectively create recurring utility for importers verifying supplier compliance and for exporters tracking regulatory scope.

Name

aqsiq

Legal name

AQSIQ Association Inc

Website

https://aqsiq.net

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

AQSIQ Association Inc is a China-domiciled private firm that helps overseas food exporters and manufacturers obtain AQSIQ/GACC registration and certification required to import products into China, operating a self-serve application platform, in-house testing laboratories in Beijing and New York, and a 3,600+-member industry network across 65 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Import Compliance Certification

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Import/Export & Border Compliance Support (FSVP, Prior Notice, Health Certificates) (AFALADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Testing Laboratories (Microbiological, Chemical, Allergen) (AFALAAAA), Labeling & Claims Compliance Review (Nutrition, Allergen, Country-of-Origin) (AFALADAF), Supplier Approval, Verification & Food Safety Risk Management (GFSI-aligned) (AFALADAH)

Keywords

• China import certification
• Food exporter registration
• GACC manufacturer registration
• Food laboratory testing
• Import compliance services

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Exporter Registration Application Fee: Foreign food exporters pay a $480 USD application fee for AQSIQ registration. The registration is valid for 5 years. Application processing takes 10-20 days.
2. Manufacturer Registration: Fees for manufacturer registration under Decree 248 requirements for high-risk, medium-risk, and low-risk food categories.
3. AQSIQ Certificate Services: Certificate application, renewal, and download services for food exporters and manufacturers seeking China market access.
4. AQSIQ Membership: Annual membership providing business content, industry reports, weekly news roundups, access to over 3,600 industry and food producers in 65 countries, priority application scheduling, and certificate tracking.
5. Laboratory Testing Services: Food testing and analysis services including microbiology, chemistry, nutritional analysis, allergen testing, GMO testing, and shelf life studies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AQSIQ Association provides regulatory certification and registration services that enable overseas food exporters, manufacturers, and cosmetics producers to obtain AQSIQ/GACC certification numbers required to import products into China. It operates in-house food testing laboratories in Beijing and New York offering microbiology, chemistry, allergen, nutritional, GMO, natural toxins, and shelf life analysis, and maintains reference databases of approved imported food categories and product recalls.

Product overview

AQSIQ Association provides a comprehensive suite of certification and laboratory testing services for overseas exporters and manufacturers seeking to enter the Chinese market. The core offerings include Food Exporter Registration and Manufacturer Registration services that enable foreign companies to obtain required GACC/AQSIQ certification numbers for exporting food and cosmetic products to China. The organization operates an AQSIQ Laboratory division offering extensive food testing services including Food Allergen Analysis, Food Chemistry Analysis, Food Microbiology Testing, Natural Toxins Testing, Shelf Life Studies, Nutritional Analysis, and GMO & Quality Control Testing. Supporting services include a recall database tracking returned imported food products, an imported food license list database with 1281 approved food categories, and certificate management services for application, renewal, and download. The platform also provides an 18-digit exporter number update service following GACC regulatory changes, and cosmetic registration for skin care, beauty, and personal care products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Exporter Registration Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Overseas exporters can complete registration in 10-20 days with proper documentation
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Eurofins: World-leading food testing laboratory network with extensive China operations — competes for the same lab testing wallet share as AQSIQ's Beijing and New York laboratories.
• TÜV SÜD: Global certification and testing body with food safety, labelling, and Asia trade-compliance capabilities — comparable to AQSIQ's combined certification and testing offering for food exporters.
• NSF International: Global public health and food safety organization offering testing, certification, and labelling services — comparable to AQSIQ's regulatory certification and food testing capabilities, particularly for exporters targeting regulated markets.
• SGS: Largest global testing, inspection, and certification company, with established food testing and agri-commodities capabilities in China — overlapping with AQSIQ's food testing and export certification offerings but at far greater scale.
• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) incumbent with dedicated agri-food and commodity services in China — competing for the same foreign food exporter customers as AQSIQ.
• Intertek: Global TIC firm providing food testing, certification, and trade compliance services, including for food exporters into China — directly comparable scope to AQSIQ's lab and registration services.

Direct peers

• QIMA: Asia-headquartered product inspection, testing, and certification firm serving global brands and exporters — comparable to AQSIQ's combination of testing and trade compliance services for cross-border food/consumer goods trade.
• Mérieux NutriSciences: Global food testing, labeling, and regulatory services provider with strong operations in China, offering laboratory testing and certification services to food manufacturers and exporters — overlapping directly with AQSIQ's lab testing and labeling business.
• CIRS Group: China-based regulatory consultancy that helps foreign companies comply with Chinese chemical, food, and cosmetic regulations — directly competing with AQSIQ's food/cosmetic registration and Decree 248 advisory services.

Regional players

• CCIC (China Certification & Inspection Group): State-affiliated Chinese inspection and certification organization operating inside China for imported goods — a regulatory-aligned alternative to AQSIQ's private intermediary model for exporters requiring official recognition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about aqsiq