./.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/CHN/5
25 July 2002
(02-4136)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   Standardization Administration of the People's Republic of China
(SAC)          
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:           
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Ammonium sulfate,
Urea, Coated urea, Ammonium nitrate, Po rous prilled ammonium nitrate, Ammonium
chloride, Agricultural ammonium chloride from small integrated soda plants, Ammonium
bicarbonate for agricultural use, Liquefied anhydrous ammonia, Calcium cyanamide, Single
superphosphate, Calcium magnesium phosphate, Calcium magnesium potassium phosphate,
Granular triple superphosphate, Fertilizer-grade dicalcium phosphate, Potassium chloride,
Potassium sulfate for agricultural use, Monoammonium phosphate, Diammoniumphosphate, Nitrophosphates, Potassium dihydrogen phosphate, Compound
fertilizers(complex fertilizers), Zinc sulfate for agricultural use, Organic-inorganic
compound fertilizers.
HS:  3101,3102,3103,3104,3105          
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   National standard of
the People's Republic of China, "Limit quantity of arsenic, cadmium, lead, chromium,
mercury content for fertilizers" (11 pages, Chinese)
6. Description of content:   The national standard, "Limit quantity of arsenic, cadmium, lead,
chromium and mercury content for fertilizers", prescribes the limit quantity of arsenic,cadmium, lead, chromium and mercury content in fertilizers and provides the testing
methods and the inspection rules.  The national standard applies to fertilizers produced and
marketed within the territories of the People's Republic of China.  The contents of arsenic,
cadmium, lead, chromium and mercury shall conform to the requirements listed in
following Table.
Item ≤ Norm (%)
Arsenic and its compounds (as As) ≤ 0.0050
Cadmium and its compounds (as Cd) ≤ 0.0008
Lead and its compounds (as Pb) ≤ 0.0150
Chromium and its compounds (as Cr) ≤ 0.0500
Mercury and its compounds (as Hg) ≤ 0.0005G/TBT/N/CHN/5
Page 2
Testing methods are as follows: for the determination of the arsenic content, the silver
diethylthiocarbamate spectrophotometry or arsenic spot test shall be employed;  and for the
determination of cadmium, lead, chromium and mercury contents, the atomic absorption
spectrophotometry shall be employed.           
This national standard is mandatory as stated in the articles, of which the requirements in
Chapter 3 (see Table in item 6) are mandatory, and the others are recommended.          
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
The presence of arsenic, cadmium, lead, chromium and mercury content in fertilizers
contaminates the soil environment, does harm directly to the growth of crops and the health
of human beings and animals.  With a view to  protecting the soil environment, maintaining
ecological equilibrium, bringing the effect of  hazardous elements under control, improving
the quality of agricultural products, safeguarding human and animal health, and promoting
the sound development of agriculture, this standard is formulated taking into account the
present development status of the agriculture and the reality of fertilizer production and usein China.  Unified analytical and testing methods are also provided for in the standard.
8. Relevant documents:   Public Notice of the Standardization Administration of the People's
Republic of China, reference No. to be decided.
9. Proposed date of adoption:  30 September 2002
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 April 2003
10. Final date for comments:   20 September 2002
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body: