Beijing, China
December 1, 2015
USDA/FAS GAIN report CBH 15061
Highlights:
On November 4, 2015, the National People’s Congress (NPC) approved amendment to China’s Seed Law. This is the first change to the legislation since it was enacted in 2000. This report provides an unofficial translation of the full text of the document. The old Seed Law is attached in the Appendix for comparison.
General Information:
Author Defined:
xecutive Summary:
On November 4, 2015, the National People’s Congress (NPC) approved amendment to China’s Seed Law. This is the first change to the legislation since it was enacted in 2000. This report provides an unofficial translation of the full text of the document. The old Seed Law is attached in the Appendix for comparison.
General Information:
The following major modifications were made to the variety registration system:
- The number of crops subject to variety registration requirements was reduced from 28 to five. The five seed varieties that will still need to be registered are rice, wheat, corn, cotton and soybean. Variety registration will no longer be required for other crops, such as rapeseed, potato and peanuts.
- A “Green channel” is established to allow seed companies that meet certain requirements to conduct experiments required for the registration process themselves.
- Seed companies no longer need approval to introduce a registered variety to a similar ecological region in another province in China.
A variety record system is established for certain crops not covered by the revised seed registration system. The government has not yet issued a list of crops to be covered by the variety record system.
Portions of the “Regulation of the People’s Republic of China on Protection of New Plant Varieties” are incorporated into the revised law and penalties for violations are strengthened.
The Seed Production License and Seed Operation License are merged into one Seed Production and Operation License. Some requirements, such as minimum capital requirements, are removed to make it easier to obtain a license.
Government support and subsidies for China’s seed industry are increased. For example, seed production and collection machinery may now be included in the agricultural machine subsidy category.
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