Chinese regulators have taken new measures to strengthen quality control over medical supplies exports and further regulate outbound procedures to better aid the global battle against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), starting on Sunday.

According to a joint issue from the Ministry of Commerce (MOC), the General Administration of Customs and the State Administration for Market Regulation on Saturday night, supervision on exports of non-surgical face masks need to meet the quality standards of either China or respective export destinations.

Meanwhile, lists of qualified mask manufacturers and substandard products and producers will be respectively provided in order to offer a basis for customs authorities to clear exports.

Exporters of non-surgical face masks should file the joint declaration of the exporter and importer when going through customs clearance to make sure they are up to standards and will not be used for surgical purposes, according to the new policy.

Also, businesses exporting products verified or registered overseas, including COVID-19 testing kits, medical face masks, medical protective suits, ventilators and infrared thermometers, should provide an export declaration of medical supplies to customs authorities, which will then clear the products in accordance to the business lists. 

The new policy came in light of media reports of China's "substandard" masks and test kits, while a preliminary probe has found some of China's exported non-surgical masks have been misused.

(With input from Xinhua News Agency)