China May Change New Chemical Substance Registration: Foreign Companies Must Designate a Local Importer as Registrant

According to reports from CIRS Group, China’s regulatory authority has announced a reform to the new chemical substance registration system. Under this proposal, foreign companies would no longer be allowed to register as "registrants" in the notification or registration process. Instead, they must designate an importer based in China that meets legal requirements and assumes responsibility for the registration. Until the official instrument is published, this information remains preliminary.

China requires that any new chemical substance not listed on national inventories must be registered before manufacture or import. Previously, foreign companies could register directly or through an agent. Under the change, the local importer would become the registrant, meaning they must have the technical and legal capacity to fulfill regulatory obligations. The regulation is expected to be issued by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) or the Chemical Registration Center (CRC).