Hong Kong enacts first pesticide residues regulation

The Hong Kong government has notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of its first-ever Pesticide Residues Regulation, which will come into force in Aug.1, 2014.

A United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report said the regulation’s date would follow a two-year grace period designed for traders to familiarize themselves with the new regulations.

The report said the legislation was enacted with no amendments made before the deadline of Jun. 6.

The Hong Kong government first introduced a public consultation on its proposed regulatory framework for pesticide residues in food in 2007. After public discussions and consultations, the proposed framework has finally been modified to its present format.

The final list of maximum residue limits (MRLs) consists of 360 pesticides and residue limits for over 7,000 pesticide-food pairs. The list is basically based on MRLs and extraneous maximum residue limits (EMRLs) recommended by Codex supplemented by those adopted in China, the U.S. and Thailand as they are major produce suppliers to Hong Kong.

The regulation also includes a list of 78 exempted pesticides.