New Rules on Product Quality Supervision to Take Effect on 1 May

Imported goods that fail to meet the requirements prescribed by the Measures for the Administration of Product Quality Supervision in the Circulation Sector recently issued by China's State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) will not be allowed to be sold on the Chinese market.

The new measures will take effect on 1 May 2016.

SAIC’s Consumer Protection Bureau Director Yang Hongcan said that there existed a wide gap between the quality of Chinese commodities and people’s expectations despite the steady rise in overall quality. In particular, illegal acts such as selling counterfeit and shoddy goods still occur from time to time. Some producers engage in illegal production and cut corners to reduce costs, bringing substandard goods into the market; some sellers are not competent gatekeepers at sourcing, failing to halt the inflow of substandard and “three nos” commodities (no production date, no details of manufacturer and no quality certification) infringing the legitimate rights and interests of consumers. Therefore, it is imperative to further clarify the requirements on the quality of goods in circulation for market access, strengthen the responsibility and obligation of sellers on product quality, boost the supervision and management of quality of commodities in circulation and crack down on violations of law in manufacturing and selling counterfeit and shoddy goods.

The new measures set down integrated supervision in online and offline sales, with sales at all physical stores, such as shopping malls, supermarkets and fair trade markets as well as online sales, including television, telephone, mail order and direct marketing be covered by the scope of supervision of product quality in the circulation sector.

Yang stressed that imports, after entry into the Chinese domestic market for circulation, shall comply with all requirements set on the quality of goods, including Chinese laws, regulations and standards.

In labelling, the new rules require that imported goods sold in China shall meet four requirements based on the nature of the goods: product name, place of manufacture and name and address of the importer or exclusive distributor shall be stated in Chinese. Goods related to human health, personal and property safety, or with special requirements on the use and maintenance shall be accompanied with instructions in Chinese. Perishable goods shall be attached with a use-by label in Chinese. Name and address of the assembly or re-packaging unit where the assembly or re-packaging of the imported bulk parts takes place shall be stated in Chinese on the goods or the packaging.