Health Canada continues to work towards a long-awaited solution to our industry’s need for HC-issued China GMP certificates. For background, amendments to China’s cosmetic regulations now provide for an exemption to animal testing requirements for imported products if these products are accompanied by a government-issued GMP compliance certificate. Canadian cosmetic manufacturers have been seeking the issuance of such a certificate by Health Canada and in June of last year, CA secured a commitment from then Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos to establish a joint Health Canada/Industry Task Force to develop options for the Minister on this matter.
The value of cosmetics manufactured in Canada and exported to China is estimated at over $350 million annually. Ensuring they are not subject to animal testing in China is essential to maintaining and growing this business.
The Task Force, which includes Dennis Price, Director-General of Health Canada’s Consumer and Hazardous Products Safety Directorate (CHPSD), CA, and several of our member companies, have been working over the past year on the details of an “options paper” that will be presented to new Health Minister Mark Holland imminently.
CA has written a briefing letter to the Minister stressing the need and time-sensitivity of a government-issued certificate. It will be accompanied by letters of support from key member companies who manufacture for export to China as well as our animal advocate allies (including Humane Society, Cruelty-free International and Humane Canada). This briefing package will be sent soon to the Minister’s office to coincide with delivery of HC’s options paper.
Canadian manufacturing facilities have currently been using interim certificates issued by provincial industry departments in Quebec and Ontario. These certificates were only intended to be a temporary measure while the federal government (particularly Health Canada as the regulator of cosmetics) addressed the issue on a permanent basis. It is hoped that the work of the Task Force will provide the permanent solution and long-term certainty that manufacturers require. It may also provide a precedent should such action be required for a similar situation in the future.
CA will continue to provide updates on further developments.
