25 Dec 2023, China MARA issued its notice No. 736 to officially impose bans on the use of four highly toxic pesticides, namely Omethoate, Carbofuran, Methomyl, and Aldicarb. Effective from June 1, 2024, the registrations of formulation products containing Omethoate, Carbosulfan, Methomyl, and Aldicarb in China will be revoked, and their production will be prohibited. Sales and use of these products will be banned starting from June 1, 2026.

Since the release of the new pesticide management regulations in 2017, the number of newly registered TGAIs in China has been consistently declining each year. CIRS group has compiled a year-end review, providing a reference for the newly registered TGAIs in China as of December 10th, 2023. Prior to 2017, the annual new registered pesticide TGAIs in China ranged from 200 to 400. After 2019, following the requirements of the new regulations, the number of approved TGAIs ranged from 10 to 70 annually. The figure below shows the yearly registered number of TGAIs from 2019 to 2023.

On May 7, 2023, the second meeting of the 10th Fertilizer Registration and Evaluation Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (China MARA) was held in Beijing. The meeting was divided into a chemical fertilizer group and a microbial fertilizer group for review. A total of 26 members attended the meeting, who reviewed 270 fertilizer products, discussed the relevant issues related to fertilizer registration management in China, and put forward opinions and suggestions on strengthening fertilizer management work. The meeting also contained the latest fertilizer registration and review statistics and new regulatory policies for fertilizer registration policies in China.

The CLV certificate, also known as the Certificate of Free Sale (Spanish: Certificado de Libre Venta, abbreviated as CLV), is one of the essential business certificates for many products entering the international market and is often used for customs clearance and overseas regulatory approvals. The CLV Certificate for pesticides in China is usually issued by the ICAMA of the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. In addition to this, foreign authorities may also require Chinese export companies to provide a Certificate of Free Sale and a product registration certificate certified by the CCPIT.

On September 4, 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs announced plans to approve 12 new pesticide products, including Cyclobutrifluram and Flusulfinam. The announcement was made by the ICAMA and Rural Affairs, following the deliberation and approval of the 12 new pesticide products by the First Committee Meeting of the Tenth National Pesticide Registration Review Committee. Among these 12 new pesticide products, there are three active ingredients, one technical material, and eight formulations, involving a total of six active substances, namely: Cyclobutrifluram; Flusulfinam; (7R,9S)-12-dodecen-1-yl acetate; Bacillus thuringiensis SN16-1; Spodoptera litura nucleopolyhedrovirus KYc01; and Metarhizium anisopliae PL-GM1.

According to the arrangement of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs for the formulation and revision of agricultural industry standards in 2023, ICAMA has undertaken the task of developing the standard for "Cultivation of Test Organisms for Environmental Impact Assessment of Pesticide Registration – Part 10: Seven-Star Ladybug" A draft for soliciting opinions has been prepared.

Starting on December 1, 2023, authorities in China will revoke the registration of omethoate, carbofuran, methomyl, and aldicarb formulations, prohibiting their production. However, legally produced products can be sold and used within the quality assurance period until December 1, 2025, after which their sale and use will be prohibited. Only the production and export of technical materials by the original manufacturers will be allowed, and they will be subject to closed-loop operation supervision.

On June 14, 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in China released the "Management Measures for Pesticide Labels and Instructions (Revised Draft for Soliciting Opinions)" on its website. If companies in the industry have any suggestions for the draft, they need to submit their revised opinions to the Pesticide Management Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs before June 30. The management measures for pesticide labeling and instructions are one of the most important regulations affecting pesticide products.

On June 16, 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in China published the draft version Measures for the Administration of Pesticide Registration Trials on its website. If companies in the industry have revision suggestions for the draft, they need to submit their revision opinions to the Pesticide Management Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs before June 30. CIRS Group has compared the current "Measures for the Administration of Pesticide Registration Trials" with the basic requirements of the draft, and summarized and commented on the main changes as follows.

The health risk assessment report of pesticides is not only an important part of pesticide registration materials but also an important basis for ICAMA to decide whether to approve pesticide registration in China. Scientifically speaking, pesticide health risk assessment is based on scientific data and models – scientifically evaluating the possibility and severity of adverse effects of pesticides on human health under specific conditions. This article summarizes the key technical points and precautions in conducting pesticide health risk assessment in China.