On February 5, 2013, the U.S.-China Health Products Association submitted its position paper on China’s dietary supplement industry to the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC). The paper gives an overview of the current regulatory system for dietary supplements in China, which is enforced by China’s State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA).

The paper entitled, “China: Dietary Supplement Priority Issue Report”, was submitted directly to the International Trade Administration (ITA) division of DOC. ITA will use the report in preparations for the 2013 Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade talks (JCCT). The paper will be utilized by the agency to gain an understanding of what issues U.S. dietary supplement companies are facing when entering China.

In the report, the association encourages China to move towards a system of notification instead of registration. It also demonstrates how reform will benefit not only industry, but also government and consumers alike. The overall tone of the report is asking for a more open and transparent system.  This is the second year the association has submitted industry concerns to U.S. DOC.