On May 24, China MIIT issued a notice to revoke the manufacturing approvals of 15 arsenic fungicide products due to their inclusion into an “elimination list” (see Chemlinked News Release on Jun 7 2013). However, the revocation does not necessary imply a complete ban as the ICAMA registration of these products are still effective, which means the products are allowed to be sold on the market. ICAMA is considering final steps to eliminate these substances from China.

In June 2013, China glyphosate production stood at 50,800 tons, down by 4% from previous month due to MEP’s newly enacted measures and periodic overhaul among the manufacturing sites. The current price topped 40,000 Yuan ($6,524 at current exchange rates) per ton last week and most of the Chinese producers have suspended quotation offers.The price is expected to continue to rise due to a deliberate supply shortage. 

On Jul 2, 0213, China AQSIQ released the Announcement 83 of 2013 to control the use of fumigant in overseas grain carriers. The measures were formulated to protect the field staff of the entry port and prevent food contaminations caused by the uses of fumigant during the transportation. The overseas cargo vessel which transport the grains into China are required to clear the fumigant residue in the ship and notify the handling of fumigant in written form, otherwise, the grain carrier will be forbidden from entering the port or the entry inspection.

During the first half of 2013, the volume and value of China’s glyphosate export have increased by 27.22% and 76.12% and the figure is still climbing. However the rat race led by the production expansion after price elevation looked more fearful to the industry. According to a recent symposium held by CCPIA, the rising price might be a short momentum as the market would soon become oversupplied by the producers. Furthermore, the industry is nervous about the recently enacted environmental verification (See ChemLinked News release on May 28 2013 ) and Wynca’s polluting case.(See ChemLinked News release on Jun 26 2013 )

Minor crops are high in value but usually not widely grown. Therefore, it is usually not profitable for private business to register the pesticide for minor crops as the low sales are insufficient to cover the cost of collecting data for pesticide registration. The situation is not only challenging China’s pesticide management but also  growth of agricultural economy.

On July 27 2013, the MoA circulated two lists regarding the distribution of agricultural pests in different administration areas. Both the “National Distribution Directory of Agricultural Phytosanitary Pests within Administrative Areas (2012)” and the “National Directory of Provincial Administrative Area Burst with Agricultural Phytosanitary Pests (2012)” were compiled under the “Regulation of Plant Quarantine” and the survey of the agricultural pests in China.

It is reported that the glyphosate manufacturing companies in Zhejiang are investigated by the public security department for the environmental crime and the manufacturers of glyphosate TC in Zhejiang are currently off production. Wynca and Jinfanda were reported of having sneakily discharged the glyphosate pollutants into the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal through a chemical warehousing and transporting company.

On 5 June 2013, China’s MoA issued a notice to its provincial subordinates and associated testing facilities that pesticide manufacturers will be subject to randomized special quality testing. ICAMA will send appropriate personnel and take samples of products from the subject companies.

On May 21 2013, the MEP issued a notice to its subordinates, the affected industry associations and the glyphosateTC (PMIDA) manufacturing companies that environmental verification is to be imposed on all the manufacturers in the next three years and the name lists of compliant manufacturers will be compiled for public reference.

Though bromomethane used to be one of the most widely used fumigant around the world, it is destined to be eliminated due to its ozone-depleting properties. China has promised to ban its use in agricultural, tobacco production and grains by Jan 1, 2015, which will be almost ten years after many other developed countries. It is still unclear which fumigant will fill the market gap after the removal of bromomethane, which once accounted for a quarter of global sales.