Regulation and Policy 

China Strengthening Management of Pesticide Imports and Exports

China is strengthening its management of pesticide import and export with a registration procedure, in a bid to protect the ecological environment and people's lives.  

A notice jointly issued by the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and the General Administration of Customs (GAC) recently has called for registration of pesticide imports and exports. 

According to the notice, any unit that hopes to import and export pesticides is obliged to apply to MOA, which is authorized to issue Certificates of Pesticide Import and Export Registration (CPIER) to qualified applicants.  Units that want to import or export pesticides ranked in the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedures must also apply to the MOA, the notice says. 

PIC pesticides can only be imported with the approval of the MOA, while the export of such pesticides can be conducted after the MOA has sought the consent of the importing country and issued the CPIER, the notice stresses.  

The GAC will handle pesticide import and export procedures according to CPIERs issued by the MOA.  Imports or exports of pesticides without CPIERs will be strictly banned, the notice stipulates. 

Each CPIER can only be used once during its valid time and the contents can not be altered.  And if they need to be altered, the import and export unit has to apply to the MOA for a new CPIER.   

The issuance of CPIERs is handled by the Pesticide Appraisal Institute under the MOA, according to the notice. 

An official from the MOA says that the notice is aimed at implementing China's Regulations on Pesticide Management and fulfilling the International Convention on the PIC Procedures for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticide in International Trade by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization and the U.N. Environment Program. 

The notice became effective as of July 1, 1999.