Exporting wine to China. The back label rules change on 16 March 2027.
When you export wine to China, the part people get wrong most often is the Chinese back label. And its rules change on 16 March 2027.
Wine in China follows two labelling standards. GB 2758-2012 covers fermented beverages and requires the alcohol strength in %vol and the warning “过量饮酒有害健康”. GB 7718 covers the label of every prepackaged food, and requires Chinese characters and the importer registered in China.
From 16 March 2027, GB 7718-2025 applies. It replaces the 2011 version and adds to the label the foreign producer's registration number in China, or the one issued by the authority in its own country. Wine arriving after that date follows the new standard.
Wine doesn't show a shelf life. GB 2758-2012 exempts it, and GB 7718-2025 confirms the exemption when the label shows the production date. With a lot number, the 2025 version also exempts wine from the production date.
This page is part of exporting wine: the documents, who issues them and when you need them, and covers wine labelling for the Chinese market. Producer registration with Chinese customs, which applies to every food, is in exporting food to China, with the decree in force and the portal.
How to export wine to China: the two labelling standards
To export wine to China, the label must comply with two national food safety standards: GB 2758-2012 on fermented beverages and GB 7718 on labelling prepackaged food. GB 2758 refers to GB 7718 for everything except alcohol strength, the warning and shelf life, which it regulates itself.
| Item | What it asks for | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Standard Chinese characters. Any foreign text matches the Chinese and isn't larger. | GB 7718-2011 §3.8 |
| Alcohol strength | Expressed in %vol. | GB 2758-2012 §4.2 |
| Warning | “过量饮酒有害健康”: excessive drinking is harmful to health. | GB 2758-2012 §4.4 |
| Importer | Country of origin and the agent, importer or distributor registered in China. | GB 7718-2011 §4.1.6.3 |
| Producer registration | From 16 March 2027, the number on the label. | GB 7718-2025 §8.3 |
| Shelf life | Wine is exempt. | GB 2758-2012 §4.5 |
The Chinese back label: language and importer
The back label uses standard Chinese characters, as paragraph 3.8 of GB 7718-2011 requires. The Italian text can stay on the bottle, but it must match the Chinese and can't be larger than the Chinese characters. The brand, the name and address of the foreign producer and distributor, and the website are exempt from the matching rule; only the brand is exempt from the size rule.
For imported products, paragraph 4.1.6.3 of GB 7718-2011 requires the country of origin and the name, address and contact details of the agent, importer or distributor registered in China. The Italian producer's name and address can be left out. That's why the back label is written with the importer, who puts their own name on it.
Alcohol strength and the warning: GB 2758-2012
GB 2758-2012 is the Chinese standard on fermented beverages, wine included, and it covers three label items. Alcohol strength is expressed in %vol. The sentence “过量饮酒有害健康”, excessive drinking is harmful to health, is mandatory, and others may be added. Wine is exempt from showing a shelf life.
“应标示"过量饮酒有害健康"，可同时标示其他警示语” (GB 2758-2012, paragraph 4.4: it must show "excessive drinking is harmful to health", and may also show other warnings)
Dates on wine labels until 15 March 2027
Until 15 March 2027, GB 7718-2011 applies, requiring a production date on every prepackaged food. Wine is exempt from the shelf life: paragraph 4.5 of GB 2758-2012 says so for wine, and paragraph 4.3.1 of GB 7718-2011 for alcoholic beverages with at least 10% alcohol.
The rule that costs most is a different one. Paragraph 4.1.7.1 of GB 7718-2011 prohibits adding the date with a sticker, reprinting it or altering it. If the date is somewhere on the packaging other than the back label, the label has to say where. That's why the production date is printed in Italy, and the back label points to it.
What changes from 16 March 2027: GB 7718-2025
From 16 March 2027, GB 7718-2025 applies. Published on 16 March 2025, it replaces GB 7718-2011. For wine, three things change: the producer's registration number on the label, the country of bottling when it differs from the country of origin, and the two date exemptions.
Paragraph 8.3 requires, for imported products, the name, address and contact details of the importer or agent, and the foreign producer's registration number in China, or the registration number issued by the authority in the producer's country. So the Chinese customs registration number becomes a label item.
On dates, paragraph 10.1 exempts wine from the shelf life and expiry date when the label shows the production date. Paragraph 10.2 exempts it from the production date when the lot number is shown. How to combine the two exemptions on a bottle is agreed in writing with the importer, who answers for the label in China.
| Item | GB 7718-2011, until 15 March 2027 | GB 7718-2025, from 16 March 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Production date | Mandatory, never on a sticker. | Exempt if the lot number is shown. |
| Shelf life | Exempt. | Exempt if the production date is shown. |
| Producer registration number | Not required by the labelling standard. | Mandatory. |
| Country of bottling | Not required. | To be shown if different from the country of origin. |
The European label stays under the Chinese one
The Chinese back label is added, not substituted. Article 119 of Regulation (EU) 1308/2013 also applies to wine destined for export, as explained on the page about the documents for wine and its label. The differences between destination markets are in export labelling, market by market.
The template, to download
One file, two sheets. The first is the back label item by item, with the Chinese standard and paragraph next to each line. The second takes the date your wine reaches the Chinese market and tells you which version of GB 7718 applies, and what changes for the production date, shelf life and registration number.
| File | Contents | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Wine to ChinaExcel, two sheets | Thirteen back-label lines with their standards, and the version of GB 7718 that applies on your date. |
The files are free. There's no form in the way, we don't ask for an email address, and we don't get notified when anyone downloads them. The sheet isn't an official translation of the Chinese standards: have the importer approve the draft back label before you print.
Questions and answers
What does the label need when you export wine to China?
A back label in Chinese characters showing the alcohol strength in %vol, the warning about excessive drinking, the country of origin and the importer registered in China. These are required by GB 2758-2012, the Chinese standard on fermented beverages, and GB 7718, the standard on labelling prepackaged food.
From 16 March 2027, GB 7718-2025 adds the foreign producer's registration number. Registration with Chinese customs applies to every food and is done before shipping.
Does wine exported to China have to show a shelf life?
No. Paragraph 4.5 of GB 2758-2012 exempts wine from showing a shelf life, and paragraph 4.3.1 of GB 7718-2011 exempts alcoholic beverages with at least 10% alcohol.
From 16 March 2027, GB 7718-2025 confirms the exemption for wine when the label shows the production date.
What changes on Chinese wine labels from 16 March 2027?
From 16 March 2027, GB 7718-2025 applies, replacing GB 7718-2011. For imported products it requires the foreign producer's registration number in China, or the one issued by the authority in its own country, and the country of bottling when it differs from the country of origin.
On dates, wine is exempt from the shelf life if the production date is shown, and from the production date if the lot number is shown. How to combine the two exemptions is agreed with the importer.
Can the production date be added with a sticker?
No. Paragraph 4.1.7.1 of GB 7718-2011 prohibits adding the date with a sticker, reprinting it or altering it. If the date is somewhere on the packaging other than the label, the label must say where.
That's why the production date is printed on the bottle in Italy, and the Chinese back label points to it.
Who writes the Chinese back label for wine?
You write it together with the importer. Paragraph 4.1.6.3 of GB 7718-2011 requires, for imported products, the name, address and contact details of the agent, importer or distributor registered in China, while the producer's name and address can be left out.
The importer answers for the label in China: have them approve the draft before you print the run.
Notes on sources
- China's National Health Commission, GB 2758-2012, national food safety standard for fermented beverages, paragraphs 4.1, 4.2, 4.4 and 4.5. The quotation is taken word for word from the Chinese text; the translation is ours.
- China's National Health Commission, GB 7718-2011, general standard for the labelling of prepackaged food, paragraphs 3.8, 3.8.2, 4.1.6.3, 4.1.7.1 and 4.3.1.
- GB 7718-2025, published on 16 March 2025 and in force from 16 March 2027, replacing GB 7718-2011: read in the Chinese text published by the US Department of Agriculture (GAIN report), paragraphs 8.3, 8.4, 10.1 and 10.2, and in the foreword on the replacement.
- The standards were read on 25 September 2026. The translations from Chinese are Itria's and have no official standing: have the importer approve the draft back label.
With wine for China, the first question is the draft back label.
Asking the importer for it before you print costs one email. Finding out it's wrong at customs costs the run. At Itria we start from the outside and build tailored digital systems for exporters. For you, that means more enquiries, fewer losses and less manual work. Drop us a line about what's slowing you down. We'll make the first move: we'll look at what a buyer sees when they search for you, and tell you what we found. Even if we never end up working together.