PROCEDURES FOR EXPORTING TO CHINA
What are the regulatory requirements for exporting cosmetic products to China?
Regulations are a major concern for companies seeking to take advantage of the high growth rates seen in cosmetics markets in Asia.
Since the creation of the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) last year and the adoption of a new regulatory framework, the registration of new products has been partially suspended. Over the summer, the SFDA published several guidelines and various measures in order to reorganise the country’s cosmetic product monitoring system.
Consequently, imported cosmetic products are subject to a dual procedure: the administrative licence as well as the product itself must both be registered. Chinese authorities require companies to provide a toxicological and analytical dossier similar to registration of a pharmaceutical substance for a drug. To date, the vast majority of files submitted to the SFDA have been rejected without explanation.