Will new regulations in China affect your business?
China continues to gear up its legislation in many areas. Food safety and potential barriers to trade are subjects that naturally attract the attention of the international food industry – not least when the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA) auditing team visits.
In the May issue of our monthly newsletter Dairy Products China News (DPCN), for instance, we note General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine's (AQSIQ) latest addition to the regulatory system in China, with increased focus on imported foods.
New regulations
Part of the challenge in keeping pace is that new regulations are appearing continually, which affect all aspects of doing business locally, not just the mechanics of trade and the products themselves.
A good example is provided by the new trademark reforms that took effect on 1 May. These provide increased protection for brand owners, with changes including, for example, a significant increase in the maximum compensation available for trade mark infringement to around US$500,000, and stricter timelines for trade market examinations, opposition decisions and reviews, which could previously take several years.
Brand awareness
On the topic of brands, an interesting new study from Momentum Worldwide on brand fatigue and brand affection across the globe suggests that people in developed countries are increasingly distancing themselves from brands, while those in developing countries are more likely to consider their relationships with brands to be friendships... or more (they say). It is unclear whether China was included in this work, but it would be interesting to see whether local consumers consider its leading dairy brands friendly!
If you are interested in learning more about China's dairy market or would like to discuss any aspects of your business in China, please contact us!