The National Forestry and Grassland Administration ("NFGA") has recently issued the Measures for Examination, Approval and Regulation of Quarantine of Introduced Seeds and Seedlings for Forests and Grasslands (the "Measures"), with effect from January 1, 2020.
The Measures are divided into six chapters which are general provisions, application for quarantine, acceptance, examination and approval, regulation of quarantine, relevant liability, and supplementary provisions. Among others, the Measures state that introduction of seeds and seedlings for forests and grasslands is subject to the responsibility mechanism under which "the applicant for introduction shall bear responsibility". Applicants shall be responsible for submitting application documents and bear responsibility for their truthfulness. Meanwhile, the Measures expressly state that China practices the risk management system for introduction of seeds and seedlings for forests and grasslands. Under any of six circumstances, e.g. where the seed or seedling is introduced for the first time to China or the introduced seed or seedling comes from a new country or region", the NFGA will arrange for experts to conduct reviews (risk evaluations) or organize quarantine to examine their sources. Furthermore, the Measures stipulate that in case an applicant "fails to return within the prescribed time limit the approval document issued for the proposed introduction of a seed or seedling that is not introduced in practice", or commits any of some other prescribed acts, the plant quarantine agency in charge of the examination and approval will circulate a notice of criticism and supervise it with closer attention.