The Chinese government is stepping up efforts to control air pollution during winter across northern China. The cities of Beijing and Tianjin and the provinces of Hebei, Henan, Shandong and Shanxi will be subject to the measures, with local governments strengthening monitoring of companies within these regions from October 2017 to March 2018. The measures...
Regulatory Agencies
EU to Lower Anti-Dumping Tariffs Against Argentinian Biodiesel
The EU has agreed to lower anti-dumping tariffs on imported biodiesel out of Argentina within the next few weeks, while those placed against Indonesia appear set to hold at a stiffer rate for the time being. The two countries are the primary exporters of biodiesel, accounting for 30 of that imported brought into the region...
China Continues to Strengthen Environmental Regulations – Part 2
The Chinese government’s recent move to tighten enforcement of environmental regulations on chemical plants is viewed as a policy aimed at promoting voluntary restructuring. Some see it as a way to encourage small and medium-sized manufacturers to weed themselves out, if they are unable to meet waste water and other requirements and lack the funds...
China Continues to Strengthen Environmental Regulations – Part 1
Chemical companies in China this year have been subject to a series of new operation regulations as part of government-led environmental measures. Government-sponsored survey teams have begun inspecting chemical factories, as air pollution is being seen as a serious problem. These teams have been dispatched to the industrial parks of various provinces. The Chinese government...
China’s Port of Qingdao Moves to Ban Handling of Hazardous Chemicals
The Chinese city of Qingdao, Shandong Province, has introduced measures at the Port of Qingdao to prohibit the import and export of highly dangerous chemicals. The changes come as part of an aim by the city to reduce risk at the Qingdao port and ensure that only chemicals of low risk get handled. The Port...
China Targets 10% Reduction in VOC Emissions by 2020
China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection has largely concluded discussions to formulate an action plan for preventing volatile organic compound (VOC) pollution. This new plan is to be implemented as part of China’s 13th Five-Year Plan, which runs from 2016 to 2020. The ministry will develop an emissions permit system to accompany the establishment of a...
Tightened Safety Regulations in China Put Clasp on Mineral Supplies
China boasts an abundance of mineral resources to serve as chemical feedstock, including fluorite and phosphate rock. And these mineral riches have made Japan and most other countries around the world depend on China for its domestic production. China’s position is a dramatic change from where it stood before the start of 2017. Up until...
China’s Tianjin Introduces New Hazardous Chemical Regulations
The Chinese city of Tianjin recently introduced a pilot program to grade hazardous chemical companies based on minor violations of safe manufacturing standards. The new system assesses Tianjin’s hazardous chemical companies according to an original checklist written up by the city. Companies that fail to meet the criteria will earn demerits. If a company receives...
Chinese VOC Regulations for New Cars Could Mean AD Duty on POM Imports
Regulations in China now require low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) inside all new cars sold in January of this year onward. The new regulations were put into effect based on the previously recommended VOC criteria by the Chinese government. Cars sold before January of this year will also be required to meet the...
METI to Encourage Data Integration to Create Smart Supply Chains
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) will accelerate efforts to formulate policies encouraging factories and companies to link each other’s data so as to utilize it throughout entire supply chains. Japan’s Cabinet adopted a spending plan, Future Investment Strategy 2017, which characterizes the task of upgrading supply chains as a strategic concern for...
Getting at the Roots of Concern With Genetically Modified Food
Japan’s Food Safety Commission, an entity under the Cabinet Office, last month concluded that genetically modified (GM) potatoes pose no risk of damage to human health. Developed by JR Simplot Co. of the U.S., the potatoes produce a smaller amount of acrylamide than non-GM potatoes when heated. Acrylamide is known to cause neural damage when...
Japan’s Environment Ministry Mulls Carbon Pricing
The Ministry of the Environment (MOE) has begun considering carbon pricing of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The MOE will examine the significance and effectiveness of carbon tax and emissions trading schemes and the issues that they raise, aiming to prepare an interim summary before the end of fiscal 2017. If necessary, deliberations will be extended into...
Singapore to Hear Out Chemical Companies on Carbon Tax Concerns
The Singaporean government will soon begin surveying chemical companies regarding the introduction of a carbon tax planned for 2019. The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) is expected to present detailed analysis findings and listen to the demands and concerns of chemical companies so that the tax details can be optimally designed. The government’s plan is...
Japanese Government Relaxes Regulations on New Chemical Substances
Japan’s House of Representatives passed and enacted a new amendment bill at a May 30 plenary session for the Act on the Evaluation of Chemical Substances and Regulation of Their Manufacture. The lower house has revised the Special Arrangements for Evaluation Requirements that serve to control the total quantity of new chemical substances across Japan,...
Shanghai Softens Regulations to Encourage Science, Tech Growth
The Shanghai Municipal Government has announced that it will be moving forward with policies to promote the industrialization of science and technology. These policies will go into effect on June 1. As part of the science and technology component in China’s 13th Five-Year Plan, the new initiatives seek to turn Shanghai into a world-renowned center...
JPO Report: Global Patent Applications, Cross-Sectoral IoT Technology See Growth
A Japan Patent Office (JPO) report on technology trends in patent applications shows year-on-year growth in filings worldwide. Technology closely linked to the Fourth Industrial Revolution is a particular driver of this growth. A marked rise is being seen in filings for technology based on the Internet of Things (IoT) — regarded as the key...
China Again Extends Anti-Dumping Duties on Chloroprene Rubber Imports
China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) has decided to extend its existing anti-dumping (AD) duties on chloroprene rubber (CR) originating in Japan, the U.S. and Europe. Duties ranging from 10.2 to 151 percent will be imposed for a five-year period starting on May 10. Responding to requests by Chinese manufacturers, the MOC launched an anti-dumping review...
More Problems for Japan’s Oil Refining Industry as IMO Toughens Regulations – Part 2
Despite already facing issues regarding the structural reduction of a shrinking domestic market, Japan’s oil refining industry is now being confronted with another problem. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has launched a policy strengthening the regulation of sulfur in Class C heavy marine oil. Such a regulation will hurt the oil refining industry, as demand...
More Problems for Japan’s Oil Refining Industry as IMO Toughens Regulations – Part 1
With Japan’s oil refining industry facing issues regarding the structural reduction of the domestic market, yet another problem has arisen. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has launched a policy strengthening the regulation of sulfur in Class C heavy marine oil. Depending on how the marine shipping industry responds to this development, the production balance of...
Japan to Repeal Seed Mandate on Prefectures, Expects Private Sector to Fill Void
The Japanese government made a decision on April 14 to repeal the Main Crop Seeds Act, which mandates that each prefecture in Japan produces and distributes its own rice, wheat and soybeans. The repeal will go into effect on April 1 2018 and is expected to lead to an increased popularity of products from the...
