China Cosmetic Production License Deadline Drawing Close

Take home:

• Domestic Manufacturers shall exchange or obtain a Cosmetic Production License before Dec 31 2016.

On Dec 15 2015 CFDA announced the consolidation of the cosmetic licensing system. Domestic manufacturers will no longer need to obtain a Cosmetics Production License from AQSIQ and a Hygiene License for Production Enterprise of Cosmetics from provincial FDAs and will now only need a Cosmetic Production License from provincial FDAs (see CL news).

According to the announcement, all manufacturers must exchange for or obtain the Cosmetic Production License before Dec 31 2016. Manufactures that are not able to obtain the License before the deadline are prohibited from manufacturing activities.

The new regulation also stipulates that the license will only be granted to manufacturers complying with Practice for Cosmetics Manufacturing Licensing. Before approval, provincial FDAs will conduct on-site inspections to ensure compliance. Unqualified manufacturers shall carry out rectification.

QS Label to Be Abolished

After the consolidation, QS Label which has been a mandatory cosmetic labeling requirement since Sep 2005 will be abolished. According to CFDA, from July 1st 2017 cosmetic manufacturers must use new packaging that complies with the Cosmetics Production License, which does not stipulate any QS label requirements. Cosmetics with packages based on previous regulatory requirements can still be sold until their expiration date.