In China’s pesticide system, the definition of biological pesticides includes microbial pesticides, biochemical pesticides and botanical pesticides. In recent years, the Chinese government has also encouraged enterprises to develop and use biopesticides, and the registration of biopesticides also enjoys preferential policies.

Product chemical data is the most basic part among the pesticide registration dossier. In addition to identity information, it also includes the 5 batch analysis of the technical materials, phys-chem properties and physical hazards for both technical materials and preparations, and technical properties for preparations. Generally, tests are needed to generate data for the four parts. This article will compare the product chemistry requirements for pesticide registration in China, the US and Europe, hoping to help companies in pesticide registration in various countries.  

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.

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.

On December 16, 2021, the Crop Production Department of the Chinese Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs invited public consultation regarding the accreditation of pesticide registration tests.

On November 26, 2021, China MoARA opened a public consultation regarding the registration of herbicide used on herbicide-tolerant soybean and maize, aimed to regulate the regulatory study and registration of herbicide used on herbicide-tolerant crops: “Data Requirements for the Registration of Herbicides Used in Herbicide-tolerant Crops”，“Guideline on Field Efficacy Trial of Herbicides Used in Herbicide-tolerant Maize”，and “Guideline on Field Efficacy Trial of Herbicides Used in Herbicide-tolerant Soybean”.

On November 30 2021, China ICAMA opened a 7-day consultation of 13 pesticides containing 7 new active ingredients that have passed through the expert review at the 9th session of the 9th National Committee of Pesticide Registration, and 5 of them are chemical pesticides of Isofetamid and Tembotrione.

From 2016 to 2020, China invested 68.76 billion overall in new agrochemical facilities, capable of producing 653,000 tons of active ingredients, 918,000 tons of intermediates, 531,000 tons of formulations, and 9,700 tons of other products including adjuvants, antidotes, and synergists. As a result of China’s environmental and safety rectification and industrial upgrading, 17.66% and 25.07% of the capital went into northwestern or northern regions, and the East China region has access to 22.83% of the investments, owing to its diverse supply chain, advantageous infrastructure and human resource. As the top agrochemical production province, Jiangsu had put forward a provincial plan to rectify chemical industry as early as 2007, but the concrete measures were enforced since 2016 aimed to merger and upgrade or cancel the existing chemical industrial park/zone, as well as eliminate chemical factories outside the designated chemical industrial park/zone, which were and especially accelerated after the explosion in March 2019. By the end of October 2020, 14 chemical parks and 15 chemical concentration zones have been designated, but only 50% to 60% of chemical producers have moved in and the rest of producers would be forced to relocate or shut down. As for Shandong , the second-largest producing province, 85 chemical industry parks were announced and 34% of chemical producers were moved in and the number of chemical producers decreased from 6,094 in 2018 to 4,580 in 2020. Currently, over 20 provinces have enforced similar measures and it has become an unavoidable tendency that chemical producers to relocate to industrial parks. Since China has not yet established environmental protection regulations specific to Yellow River basin, upstream areas have become perfect destinations for migratory producers. Looking back on the annual investment, the growth in 2019 and 2020 was remarkable, mainly because increasing relocation/investment plans had been announced a

China is the fourth largest soybean producer in the world and the area and output have been increasing steadily from 8.5 million hectares and 15.15 million in 1998 to 9.86 million hectares and 19.6 million tons in 2020. The plantation has been widespread across China, from Heilongjiang to Hainan and from Shandong to Xinjiang and the Top 6 production provinces account for 80% of the total output. Chinese Soybean Production in 2018   Area (Hectare m.) Output (Ton m.) Heilongjiang 3.57 6.58 Inner Mongolia 1.10 1.79 Anhui 0.65 0.97 Henan 0.39 0.96 Sichuan 0.38 0.89 Jilin 0.28 0.55 Other provinces 1.63 4.23 China has abundant and high-quality soybean germplasm and all soybean planted are homegrown non-GM varieties developed by public research institutes, notably the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and provincial agricultural academies of Shandong, Heilongjiang, Henan, etc. China has a large geological span and complex climate and the seeding stage usually extends from September to November and the harvest concludes between March and April next year. However, the output drags far behind domestic demand and 80% of the soybean consumed in China are imported, mainly used for crushing and feed purposes. A total of 50 diseases have been reported and 10 of them are severe and frequent diseases and 20 of them occur sporadically. Over 100 weeds have been reported in China and 87 of them are frequent ones. 404 insects have been detected and 10 of them are widespread, 150 of them are sporadic ones. Some of these weeds and insects are also the