China is one of the most seriously weeds-harmed countries, and mainly relies on chemical pesticides for weed control, i.e., herbicides. This article is an analysis of herbicide registration in China, in two parts: Statistics in 2015-2022, and Updated Regulations, Policy, and New Herbicides in 2022.

China is one of the most seriously weeds-harmed countries and mainly relies on chemical pesticides for weed control, i.e., herbicides. This article is an analysis of herbicide registration in China, in two parts: Statistics in 2015-2022, and Updated Regulations, Policy, and New Herbicides in 2022.

On August 11, 2022, the Korea Ministry of Environment and the Korea Environmental Industry& Technology Institute issued a prohibition on the manufacturing, importing and marketing of 623 kinds of  consumer chemical products that violate the “Act on the Safety Management for Consumer Chemical Products and Biocides” (hereinafter as K-BPR Regulations). 

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 at the end of 2019, the U.S. EPA has issued a series of friendly policies to encourage companies to register disinfectants in order to ensure the demands for disinfectants by U.S. citizens. Driven by both market demand and government policies, many Chinese companies took advantage of this opportunity to layout the U.S. disinfectant market.  

Pesticide reevaluation refers to the reassessment of a registered pesticide through safety, efficacy, and agronomic aspects, by using the latest scientific tools and findings. This procedure has been an established practice in developed countries and economies to grantee the sustained benefits of agricultural production, food safety, and environmental protection.

In the second half of 2021, the South Korean Ministry of Environment and the Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute investigated and penalized a total of 387 illegal consumer chemical products, which include 340 products without completing the safety verification and reporting obligations, 33 products found to have excessive levels of hazardous substances and 14 products violating label requirements.

On December 31, 2021, the South Korean National Institute of Environmental Research released Announcement 488 to amend the designation of existing biocidal substances subject to deferred approval. A total of 17 previously designated substances will be removed, 8 and 15 existing substances will have their biocidal usage (product types) partially canceled or expanded, and 6 substances will be newly designated.

On December 31, 2021, the Chinese Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs (MoARA) and the General Administration of Customs (GAC) jointly issued Announcement 416 to implement the electronic customs clearance of imported and exported pesticides. The announcement explains the qualification of pesticides and business entities data requirement, and procedures, as well as releases the latest version of “List of Pesticides Subject to Import and Export Management”.

On December 21, 2021, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs(MoARA) invited a 30-day consultation to ban 4 highly toxic pesticides: Phorate, Isofenphos-methyl, Isocarbofos, and Ethoprophos.