Home / Guides / Can toothpaste be exported to China, and is it filed like cosmetics?
Guide
Can toothpaste be exported to China, and is it filed like cosmetics?
Yes, toothpaste can be exported to China, but it is not filed as if it were a face cream. China supervises toothpaste under dedicated toothpaste rules that draw on ordinary-cosmetics administration without making toothpaste the same product class as cosmetics. Complete toothpaste filing before general-trade import of a finished toothpaste, appoint the responsible domestic party required for that path, and apply a compliant Chinese label. Efficacy claims such as anti-caries, stain-removal or anti-sensitivity need the evaluations required for toothpaste, not a copied cosmetics story.
How to judge the path
Do not use the cosmetics special-registration categories to describe toothpaste, and do not use the about 10–20 day ordinary cosmetics-filing cycle as if it were a confirmed toothpaste timeline unless that cycle has been specifically confirmed for the toothpaste path you are using.
Mouthwash and leave-on teeth-whitening kits are not automatically toothpaste. See mouthwash and teeth-whitening products.
Typical documents, tests and labels
Prepare the toothpaste dossier, formula, safety information and claim evidence required by the toothpaste rules then in force. Jinshang Testing organizes the compliance work. Testing is coordinated with partner laboratories, and those laboratories issue the reports they perform. After a toothpaste or cosmetic record is issued, check it on the official NMPA filing query https://hzpba.nmpa.gov.cn/gccx/ and the NMPA data-search page https://datasearch.nmpa.gov.cn/datasearch/home-index.html#category=hzp.
Cautions
Fluoride and other restricted oral-care substances must meet the applicable quality specifications. Do not claim to treat oral disease as a drug if you intend to stay on the toothpaste path.
Questions we are often asked
Is whitening toothpaste still toothpaste?
Usually yes, if it meets the toothpaste definition and the whitening or stain-removal claim is evaluated under toothpaste rules. It is not registered as a skin-whitening special cosmetic.
Can I file toothpaste as an ordinary cosmetic to go faster?
No. Use the toothpaste filing route. Choosing the wrong product class is itself a reason for correction or refusal.
Next step
Discuss your China market path
Tell us whether you plan to import finished goods or manufacture in mainland China, and what the product claims. We will outline the likely filing or registration path. Testing, where needed, is arranged with partner laboratories.
Contact us