China sets "green standard" for electronic imports

China's Ministry of Information Industry (MII) issued a regulation on Friday which set "green standard" for imported electronic products.

The regulation, which will take effect from March 1, 2007, forbids the import of e-products that do not meet China's national standards on the amount of poisonous and harmful materials, which include lead, mercury, cadmium and hexad chromium.

Experts estimate that around 80 percent of the world's highly polluting e-products are imported to Asia, of which 90 percent come to China. China has become a major victim of e-garbage.

The regulation has been set to control pollution brought about by deserted e-products and to encourage manufacture of products with low pollution, said a spokesman of the ministry.

E-products which come under the new law include computers, home appliances and mobile phones.

The names and content of poisonous and harmful materials should be marked in the process of product designing, manufacturing, sales and import, the regulation said.

Products that do not meet national or industrial standards should not be sold on the domestic market, it said.

The ministry, along with the State Administration of Environmental Protection (SAEP), will define the "green standard". A list of major polluting e-products will be made by seven ministries including the MII, SAEP and the Ministry of Commerce.

Violations against the regulation will be punished but no specific measures are mentioned. The regulation also said the MII will support the development of "green products".

As export destinations set different standards on e-products, the regulation would not work for exports.

Source: Xinhua