About twenty files
According to information collected by Premium Beauty News on the occasion of theCosmoprof Asia tradeshow, which was held in Hong Kong from the 10th to the 12th of October 2010, registrations of cosmetics imported into China would have partially resumed since the beginning of the month.
Indeed, following the change of regulatory framework and the administrative reorganization initiated in April 2010, the registration flow has been suspended. Since then, no product reference obtained the required administrative authorisation, whatever the product, “special function” cosmetics or “general function cosmetics.”
About twenty registration applications, covering both “special function cosmetics” and “general cosmetic”, were recently given the green light that is necessary for entering into the Chinese market.
“As far as we are concerned, confirms Ms. Françoise Yidan Li, co-founder and CEO of SEYCO, an agency specializing in the registration of cosmetic products in China, we have obtained the approval of seven products, on behalf of Estee Lauder, one of our clients. And we know that more than ten cosmetic products of other cosmetics companies have obtained the agreement of the administrative authority responsible for the registration.”
Gradual recovery expected
Françoise Yidan Li is optimistic for the future and is convinced that the process should gradually resume. “We now understand much better what the authorities are expecting. We now know with much precision what the new registration files must contain and how they must be presented. I think the permits will be allowed to an acceptable pace and the situation will gradually unlock.”
According to the regulations of the People’s Republic of China, cosmetics are divided into two categories: on the one hand the general function cosmetics, and, the second hand, the products special function products). Whatever their category, all products imported into China must get an approval from the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) before being placed on the market. The SFDA evaluates the product on the basis of a technical and administrative file, which must comply with strict formal rules, and include a series of mandatory tests performed by approved Chinese laboratories, as well as several pieces intended to demonstrate the product’s safety and the compliance of its labelling.
This regulation only applies to mainland China and not to the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau.
