A delegation from the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) visited slaughterhouses and meat processing plants in Colombia during an audit led by Invima, with participation from ICA, focusing on the livestock monitoring process. The health authority presented the progress made and acknowledged the challenges the country still faces in meeting the requirements.
The recent visit of a delegation from the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) to Colombia sent a clear message to the livestock sector, which FEDEGAN has long insisted on: the country must strengthen individual cattle traceability if it wants to consolidate and expand access for its beef to the world’s largest market.
Although initial reports raised concerns among producers and exporters about Colombia’s alleged inability to demonstrate animal traceability, the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) explained that the situation stemmed from a technical request made during the audit and not from a disqualification of the Colombian system.
The visit was part of the process carried out by ICA and Invima, supported by FEDEGAN, for several years to achieve the admissibility of livestock products and the authorization of processing plants intended for export.
According to the ICA, the Chinese mission was scheduled to visit only slaughterhouses and meat processing plants. However, during the opening meeting, the delegation asked a question about the state of cattle traceability from birth to slaughter.
In response to this request, the Institute explained the progress made by Colombia in animal identification and health monitoring.
Subsequently, before the closing meeting, the Chinese health authority requested more detailed information on the operation of the Colombian system, which led the ICA to present all current regulations, the operation of the National System of Identification and Information of Bovine Livestock (SINIGAN), its interoperability and the implementation of Resolution 219 of 2026, which came into force in April 2026 and establishes the mandatory identification of animals.
Despite these advances, the ICA acknowledged that the country still faces a significant challenge.
The entity explained that the cattle currently arriving at the slaughter plants do not all have individual identification from birth, a requirement demanded by the Chinese health authority to guarantee complete traceability.
As an alternative, the Institute proposed identifying the animals during the second foot-and-mouth disease vaccination cycle of this year directly on the farms of origin to ensure tracking until slaughter.
However, that proposal has not yet been accepted by the GACC, since the Chinese authority maintains as a requirement that individual identification begin from the birth of the animal.
In addition, the mission requested additional technical documentation to support the operation of the Colombian system, which was immediately sent by the ICA.
Colombia now awaits the official audit report to be issued by the GACC, a document that will define the status of the admissibility process and the aspects that must be strengthened and the improvement plans that both the health authorities and the inspected processing plants must implement.
The issue is of particular importance because any observation related to traceability could influence the sanitary admissibility processes and beef exports, at a time when the sector is seeking to consolidate new international markets.
The ICA highlighted that Colombia now has tools that did not exist a few years ago.
The issuance of Resolution 219 and the modernization of Sinigán represent fundamental advances in responding to the increasingly demanding standards of purchasing countries.
The entity noted that previously there was no mandatory mechanism to individually identify cattle from birth, a situation that limited the development of a comprehensive traceability system.
With the new regulations, the country seeks to close that gap and strengthen the competitiveness of livestock production.
However, the real challenge will be to ensure that individual identification is fully implemented throughout the country, an essential requirement to meet China’s demands and consolidate the trust of one of the most strategic markets for Colombian beef exports.
