Packaging rule · China · Design rule
Administrative Measures for Postal and Express Packaging
Design rule rule covering all packaging in China, set by Ministry of Transport. Applies since 12 March 2021.
The rule
Recorded from the official source named below. Rates and dates are as the source states them on the date it was consulted.
- Jurisdiction
- China
- Authority
- Ministry of Transport
- Rule type
- Design rule
- Materials
- All packaging
- Status
- In force Enacted
- Adopted or published
- 8 February 2021
- Applies from
- 12 March 2021
From the source“本办法自2021年3月12日起施行。”
Official source Gazette of the State Council: 邮件快件包装管理办法Official (government or regulator) · consulted 13 October 2026
Key dates
Adopted or published 5 years ago
Applies from 5 years ago
Source consulted by the SPI team today
Re-checked by a second SPI team member today
What it means
SPI analysis Our reading of the official source above. Not legal advice; always rely on the official text.
SPI summary
Ministry of Transport Order No. 1 of 2021 regulates packaging of mail and express parcels. Delivery firms must pack according to item nature, size and weight, prevent excessive packaging, limit tape, and minimise packaging layers, void space and fillers.
In practice
These Ministry of Transport measures, in force since 12 March 2021, put packaging duties on postal and express delivery enterprises in China rather than on brand owners. Carriers must use compliant materials, choose boxes by weight and size, prefer reusable and recyclable options, use narrow tape, and avoid excessive packaging with too many layers, void space or filler. Brand owners and e-commerce sellers shipping as contract customers are drawn in, since carriers must notify them in writing and self-supplied packaging must still meet national requirements.
Who is in scope
- Postal and express delivery enterprises and their domestic packaging operations (Art. 2)
- Packaging materials such as envelopes, boxes, bags, tape, fillers and multi-parcel containers (Art. 3)
- Senders who supply their own packaging, and contract customers who must be notified (Art. 21)
- International express operators, for inbound packaging (Art. 46)
Who is not
- The product packaging of the goods inside the parcel (Art. 3)
What to do and by when
- NowCheck whether shipper-supplied mailers and fillers for China meet carrier and national material requirements.
- NowReview box sizing, tape use and void fill in China fulfilment against Articles 18 to 20 and 25.
- NowCheck heavy metal and benzene solvent limits for printed mailers and tape (Art. 16).
Related rules
- PR-CN-001 Opinions on Further Strengthening Plastic Pollution Control (NDRC/MEE 2020 No. 80)
Plastic restrictions on express bags and tape that Article 14 tells carriers to follow. - PR-CN-003 GB 23350-2021 restriction of excessive packaging (food and cosmetics)
Excessive packaging limits for the product packaging itself. - PR-EU-009 PPWR: maximum 50% empty space in grouped, transport and e-commerce packaging
EU 50% empty space limit for e-commerce and transport packaging.
Where the record is unclear
- The measures refer to mandatory standards without listing them; which standards apply was not checked.
- Penalties (fines of up to 10,000 yuan) fall on carriers; how carriers pass requirements to shippers in contracts is not public.
Sources for this note
- Gazette of the State Council: 邮件快件包装管理办法 (Ministry of Transport Order No. 1 of 2021) Consulted 13 October 2026
Note written by the SPI team on 13 October 2026.
Where it sits in the tracker
- One of 3 packaging rules we track in China, of which 2 are design rule rules.
- In all, 6 design rule rules are tracked across 2 jurisdictions. Compare them below
Company profiles that map to this rule
Companies whose SPI profile lists this rule in its regulatory exposure, based on where they report selling. Not company-reported.
Change history
Verified: a second SPI team member re-checked every fact above against the source on 13 October 2026. Any later change to the facts sends the rule back to Sourced and is logged here.
Verified by a second SPI team member
Added to the tracker
Spotted an error? Write to sales@strategicpackaginginsights.com quoting PR-CN-002 and the source. Corrections are logged in this history.
Design rule rules elsewhere
The same type of rule for the same materials in other jurisdictions, by the date it applies.
| Rule | Where | Type | Materials | Status | Applies from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUP Directive: tethered caps on plastic beverage containersPR-EU-015 | European Union | Design rule | Single-use plastic | In force | 3 July 2024 |
| PPWR: PFAS limits in food-contact packagingPR-EU-002 | European Union | Design rule | All packaging | In force | 12 August 2026 |
| PPWR: all packaging recyclable by 2030PR-EU-010 | European Union | Design rule | All packaging | Adopted, not yet applying | 1 January 2030 |
| PPWR: maximum 50% empty space in grouped, transport and e-commerce packagingPR-EU-009 | European Union | Design rule | All packaging | Adopted, not yet applying | 1 January 2030 |
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