On March 1, 2023, the National Public Service Platform for Standards Information in China released two draft national standards – GB 6944 Classification and Code of Dangerous Goods and GB 12268 List of Dangerous Goods. The two drafts are open for public consultation until May 8, 2023.

Statistics indicate that the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) in India has reinforced the scrutiny of imported goods in the first quarter of this year. Products from several enterprises exporting chemicals to India have been detained because of the absence of the mandatory BIS certificate. In the following article, we summarize the latest BIS lists and their corresponding implementation timelines (as of March 2023). All products in the List under Mandatory Certification must obtain relevant certificates from the Bureau of India Standards (BIS) before they are introduced to the Indian market.

The European Commission is to prohibit the use of 31 carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction (CMR) substances in cosmetic products. The Commission notified WTO of the amendments on November 17, 2022. These substances were added into Annex II of the Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 and the ban on their use in cosmetics will apply from 1 December 2023.

On March 15, 2023, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) issued three new food contact substances passing the technical review of the CFSA Expert Review Committee and now open for public comments. The deadline for public comments is April 10, 2023.

Policy Interpretation – How to Enter the "Fast Track" of Priority Approval? ——This policy was implemented on January 1, 2017 1. Scope of priority approval Projects those are applicable to the priority approval of "fast track" a. Applications for registration of domestic Class III medical devices. b. Applications for registration of imported Class II and Class III medical devices. Projects those are not applicable to the "fast track" of Priority Approval a. Filing of Class I medical devices; b. Applications for registration renewal and registration change; c. Applications that have been included in the approval process in accordance with the emergency approval procedures for medical devices or the special approval procedures for innovative medical devices. 2. The conditions for applying for priority approval (1) Diagnose or treat rare diseases, with obvious clinical advantages. (2) Diagnose or treat malignant tumors, with obvious clinical advantages. (3) Diagnose or treat specific and multiple diseases to the elderly, and there are currently no effective diagnoses or treatments. (4) Dedicated to children, with obvious clinical advantages. (5) Clinically urgently needed, and for which there are no registered medical devices of the same species in China. (6) Medical devices listed in major national science and technology projects or national key research and development programs. (7) Other medical devices that should be prioritized for approval, shall be determined by NMPA after extensively soliciting of opinions and organizing experts to demonstrate. 3. When is the priority approval application submitted? Those who meet the above priority approval conditions shall submit the application for priority approval together with the registration application for medical devices.

After the technical review and the review of the National Pesticide Registration Review Committee in China, the registration of 5 active ingredients and 10 new pesticide products applied by 4 enterprises including Sichuan Jinzhu Ecological Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. were approved. All 10 products belong to biopesticides.