China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine states that the General Principles for Examination of Food Additive Production Licensing (2010 Edition) published by the AQSIQ on August 13, 2010 will go into effect as of September 1, 2010. AQSIQ states that it is in line with the Food Safety Law of China, the Regulations on the Administration of Production License for Industrial Products and the Provisions on the Supervision and Administration of Production of Food Additives, with the aim of regulating and standardizing the supervision and administration of food additive production.
The Vice-President of the European Commission Catherine Ashton is in China the week of August 30-September 4, 2010 to attend the first ever EU-China High Level "Partnership" Dialogue, which is designed to address issues of concern and mutual interest through constructive engagement at the highest level.
China's Ministry of Commerce reports that thanks to the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), the trade volume of Hangzhou to Taiwan has doubled since July. The products declared to enter the mainland from Taiwan are mainly textile materials and electronic materials and parts; and products exported to Taiwan are mainly mechanical and electrical products.
The European Commission has posted the minutes from the seventh meeting of the EU-China Intellectual Property Working Group that took place on June 24, 2010 in China. The EU and China discussed issues related to patents, including enforcement aspects, patent applications and grants, etc.
In the August 28, 2010 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union, the following trade-related notices were posted:
The European Commission has opened formal proceedings to investigate whether certain provisions accompanying claim-sharing and joint-reinsurance agreements in the marine insurance sector might infringe European Union antitrust rules. The EC states that provisions in the agreements between the Protection & Indemnity Clubs (P&I Clubs) within the International Group of P&I Clubs (IG) may harm ship owners and the insurers that are not members of the IG.
In June 2010, the European Commission notified World Trade Organization members of a draft regulation that would modify the cadmium restrictions under Annex XVII of the EC REACH1 regulation (EC Regulation 1907/2006) to, among other things, restrict the amount of cadmium allowed in jewelry.
The European Chemicals Agency is seeking comments on proposals submitted by three European Union member countries to identify eleven chemicals as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC), which could make them subject to the "authorization" component of the EU’s REACH1 program.
In the August 27, 2010 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union, the following trade-related notice was posted:
According to an August 26, 2010 World Customs Organization press release, a combined international operation, called Operation Mamba III, took place across East Africa, targeting counterfeit medical products and pharmaceutical crimes. Operation Mamba III resulted in the seizure of at least 10 tons of counterfeit and illicit medical products and more than 80 arrests of individuals suspected of involvement in the illegal manufacture, trafficking or sale of counterfeit and diverted medical products. Examples of some of the individual cases of suspected counterfeit drugs intercepted during the operation include 11634 Metakelfin antimalaria tablets, 3300 Celestamine antibacterial tablets, 1000 Duo-Cotecxin antimalaria tablets, 200 Ciprobay antibiotic tablets, 180 Betapyn headache tablets, 126 Postinor-2 oral emergency contraceptive tablets, and 80 Cialis erectile dysfunction tablets. Representatives of participating countries will meet next week to review the results of Operation Mamba III and to further harmonize the region’s approach to counterfeit and unregulated medicine.