Dow AgroSciences issues comment on Chinese regulatory approval of biotech products

Tim Hassinger, President and CEO, Dow AgroSciences, has issued the following statement regarding a press release issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce:
 

“We are very encouraged by the progress announced by the U.S. and Chinese governments on promptly completing Chinese review of U.S. agricultural biotech products pending approval. Securing regulatory approvals for import of grain from Dow AgroSciences’ Enlist corn and soybean traits would be a significant win for both countries and would benefit U.S. farmers, as resistant weeds now infest nearly 100 million acres of American farmland. We applaud these cooperative efforts under the 100 day action plan and urge the governments to ensure fulfillment of the commitments made related to agricultural biotechnology.”
 

For your information, the relevant information from the Department of Commerce release (link above) is the following:
 

China’s National Biosafety Committee (NBC) is to hold a meeting by the end of May 2017, to conduct science-based evaluations of all eight pending U.S. biotechnology product applications to assess the safety of the products for their intended use. No additional information unrelated to safety assessment for intended use is to be requested of the applicants. For any product that does not pass the safety evaluation at the NBC meeting held in May 2017, the NBC is to operate with transparency by providing in writing to the applicants a complete list of requested‎ information necessary to finalize the safety assessment for the products’ intended use, along with an explanation of how the requested information would be relevant to the safety of the products’ intended use. The NBC is to hold meetings as frequently and as soon as possible after an application is resubmitted in order to finalize reviews of remaining applications without undue delay. For the products that pass the safety evaluations of the NBC, China is to grant certificates within 20 working days in accordance with Administrative License Law of the People’s Republic of China.