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.  

On June 2, the US EPA invited a 15-day consultation on the registration of novel microbial nematicide Purpureocillium Lilacinum Strain PL11, including a manufacturing-use product and 2 end-use products.

On May 25, 2021, the US EPA released the draft risk assessments of Sulfuryl Fluoride, a residential fumigant targeting termites, powder post beetles, old house borers, bedbugs, carpet beetles, moths, cockroaches, rats, and mice.

On April 28, 2021, the US EPA announced the suspension of expediting review of surface-use disinfectants, which the recent information from CDC that the risk of being infected with COVID-19 by touching contaminated surfaces is considered low.

On April 8, 2021, the US EPA opened a 30-day public comment period regarding the proposed decision to conditionally register the first residential outdoor use of the insecticides cyclaniliprole and flonicamid on roses, flowers, shrubs, and small (non-fruit bearing) trees. The agency is proposing to register three new products: an individual manufacturing-use product for each of the two active ingredients and one end-use product formulated with both active ingredients.

On July 15, 2020, the US EPA released new guidance clarifying the number of treatment concentrations needed for acceptable fish bioconcentration factor (BCF) studies in pesticide registration process. The number of concentration levels can be reduced from three (two positive doses and one control) to two (one positive level and one control), which would save 240 test animals per year.

The number of pesticides newly registered in China has plummeted from 4326 in 2018 to 294 in 2019 and one of the main causes is the elevated data requirements newly enforced. As an essential component of a dossier, product chemistry data is usually firstly reviewed by the competent authorities. In a training course organized by the Chinese Crop Protection Industry Association in June, Ms. Nancy Shen, technical supervisor of REACH24H, concluded the similarity and differences in the data requirements and exchanged her long years of experience in registering pesticides in China, EU and the United States.