21 November, 2012, China Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) convened the first GHS Implementation Expert Committee meeting in Beijing. The meeting was attended by 17 committee members and a number of GHS implementation coordinators from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Transport (MOT), the Ministry of Railways (MOR), the General Administration of Customs (GAC), the State Administration for Industry & Commerce (SAIC) and the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS), etc.
The meeting reported major progress achieved in GHS implementation in China, including China’s revision of GHS legislations and standards, the set-up of enforcement coordination system, nationwide training as well as capacity-building programs. Other topics mentioned include recent legislative development of UN GHS, GHS enforcement on Chinese imports and exports, and the formulation/revision plans of China GHS-related standards.
The meeting also discussed China’s GHS implementation in the near future. Deputy head of the raw material department under MIIT suggested the following principles: unified GHS classification, categorized management, stepwise implementation and focus on key points to ensure rapid progress in GHS implementation in China.
