G/SPS/N/CHN/1149  
 
21 January 2020  
(20-0548) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  CHINA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of 
China  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  Foods  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  National Food Safety Standard of the P.R.C.: Maximum 
Residue Limits for Pesticides in Foods . Language(s):  Chinese . Number of pages:  33 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/CHN/20_0540_00_x.pdf  
6. Description of content:  This standard specifies 642 maximum residue limits (MRLs) of 
68 pesticides, including abamectin, etc. in or on foods.  
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [  ] animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
 Codex Maximum Residue Limits for Pesticides and Extraneous Maximum Residue 
Limits in  Foods and Feeds  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes   [X] No  G/SPS/N/CHN/1149  
 
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  If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  Some proposed residue limits may differ from maximum 
residue limits standards of Codex. The scientific methodolo gy adopted to establish MRLs 
in China is consistent with international common practice. Members set MRLs in 
accordance with the good agricultural practice (GAP), which is applicable to their 
respective conditions. Since the pests and environmental factors vary in different 
producing regions and members, they may choose different use -patterns of pesticides. 
Therefore, Chinese MRLs for pesticides in foods may differ from Codex standards.  
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are availabl e: 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 21 March 2020 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquir y Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:   
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body: