On 25 Oct 2018, China MoARA released the 1st batch of testing institutes for pesticide registration experimentation. A total of 26 labs have been approved to conduct studies covering product chemistry, efficacy, toxicology, residue, and environmental impact.

On 21 Aug 2018, Taiwan BAPHIQ (Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan) concluded a technical advisory meeting regarding chlorpyrifos dietary risk mitigation measures. An injunction forbidding its uses on 13 agricultural commodities is expected to be publically consulted on in September.

On 22 Jun 2018, China NHC, MoARA and SAMR jointly issued the Announcement 6 of 2018 to release the GB 2763.1-2018 and 8 testing methods of pesticide MRLs in food, some of which were publically consulted late last year and to be implemented on 21 Dec 2018.

On 31 May 2018, China MoARA invited a 30-day consultation on 576 MRLs for 118 pesticide active ingredients and 4 testing methods of pesticide residues in plant-origin food.

Last month, China NATESC (National Agricultural Technology Extension Service Center) reported the pest resistance monitoring results of 2017. 60 sites in 19 provincial areas were investigated, covering 21 patent or off-patent pesticides including chlorantraniliprole, penoxsulam, quinclorac, dinotefuran, bensulfuron, bispyribac and clodinafop-propargyl etc. The center pointed out that the main pests and diseases in food crops have developed significant resistance to the most commonly used pesticides and there is an urgent need of integrated and rotational measures and development of better system to monitor risk and assessment of pest resistance.

On 24 and 25 Apr 2018, an official training course on developing national pesticide MRL standard was held in Jiangsu. The event was organized by MoARR and was attended by ICAMA’s head agronomist Ms. Ji Ying. Ms. Ji revealed that the new version of GB2763 will be published this year and that a technical guidance on MRL establishment targeting imported agricultural products would also be drafted.

Pesticide MRL establishment not only protects the integrity of the food supply, but also protects domestic agriculture. China’s response to WTO TBT/SPS notifications varies depending on the impact on trade balance, the value of the commodity, existence of established MRLs and China’s overall trade relationship with the notifying country. Member countries are required to notify other countries of any new or revised regulations which affect trade and to set up offices (official enquiry points) to answer requests for more information on new or existing measures at the WTH level. In regards to pesticide, TBT includes pesticide/chemical registration regulations and measures concerning food safety, production, environmental and labeling, etc., while SPS is more on MRL establishment/amendment/exemption/cancellation, crop grouping and other agricultural or technical practice for pesticide uses. China participated in the WTO TBT/SPS notification activities as early as 2003 and has formed a mature response system to support international trade of agricultural products, protect its domestic agricultural production and consumers. Through the introduction of official comment on MRL notification and studies of recent cases, this article aims to demystify how these WTO MRL notifications impact China's national pesticide MRL establishment. Workflow of Official Comments In the last 2 years, China has made very few WTO notifications on new enactment or amendment of pesticide regulations and the majority of these notifications involved establishment, amendment or cancellation of pesticide MRLs. An official inquiry point was established at the National Quality Standardization Center of Agricultural Product under the MoARA (Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affair), receiving notifications from 19 countries/regions including the US, EU, Brazil, Canada and New Zealand etc. Each notification will be sent to relevant government body/institutions cover

By the end of 2017, 37888 pesticides registered by 2213 companies were within their validity, of which 3913 pesticides of 1216 companies were newly approved in the past several years. China promulgated a new pesticide regulation and revoked temporary registration. Applications which were being processed at the time of promulgation of the new regulation are still being reviewed and approved based on requirements of the previous regulation: 3365 were full registration for field use, 385 were temporary registration for field use, 153 were full registration for hygienic pesticide and 10 were temporary registration for hygienic pesticide.

On 10 Jan 2018, China MoA’s website released announcement 2622 to promulgate 87 agricultural standards which became effective on 1st of Jan 2018. Among them, 21 standards are for the regulatory studies required during registration of pesticides and fertilizers.

Since the Nov 1st 2017 implementation of  "MoA Announcement 2569-Data Requirements on Pesticide Registration", subsequent registration applications have been subject to increased data requirements and elevated criteria. Other changes include but not limited to the abolishment of temporary registration and mandatory risk assessment. Compared with the previous regulation, MoA Order 10 of 2008, Announcement 2569 includes significant improvements in text structure and information transparency. A comparative analysis between the new and old version offers useful information to aid companies in adapting to new requirements. Chapter Reorganization in Regulation Text In the 2008 version, hygienic pesticides, rodenticides, biochemical pesticides, microbial pesticides, botanical pesticides, GMOs and natural enemy pesticides are defined as special pesticides and their registration requirements were incorporated in an independent chapter similar to the individual chapters  detailing requirements of new active ingredients, new formulated pesticides, me-too and technical concentrations(TKs). In the main body, each of these chapters consists of 3 sub-chapters, corresponding to the requirements for field trial application, temporary registration and full registration. In the new data requirements, three types of biopesticide have equal chapter allocation as chemical pesticides. The requirements for manufacturing “use product” (TC/TK) and end-use product (formulation) are respectively compiled in 2 sub-chapters.  Furthermore,  “atypical” products including agricultural GMOs and natural enemies have been removed from the new data requirements. GMOS are regulated under agricultural GMO regulations and natural enemies are subject to significantly decreased registration data requirements. Conditions for post registration including use scope expansion, amendment to application method and dose are refined in Chapter VI