China approves five GM crops for import

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China granted five more genetically modified (GM) crops for import on Tuesday. The approval was announced by the Chinese Agriculture and Rural Affairs Ministry (MOA).

The five newly approved GM crops include herbicide tolerant rapeseed and herbicide tolerant soybeans. A total of 31 agricultural genetically modified organisms (GMO) are listed on the import safety certificate. These are all “processing materials”, which serve as raw materials for oil production, sugar production and animal feed, rather than directly sold as agricultural products.

Two of the newly approved crops had been waiting for six years for permission, which are BASF's RF3 canola and Bayer-owned Monsanto's glyphosate-tolerant MON 88302 canola. The other approved crops were DowDuPont's DP4114 corn, DAS-44406-6 soybean, and the SYHT0H2 soybean held by BASF and Syngenta.

Safety certificates of 26 imported agricultural GMOs have been approved for renewal, 24 of which are valid until December 20, 2021. Safety certificates of BASF's insecticide-tolerant herbicide cotton T304-40 and insecticide-tolerant herbicide cotton GHB119 are valid until December 20, 2023.

GMOs which are listed in the label management catalog and which are also for sale have to be identified. The catalog was developed in 2002 and has been used ever since, with a total of 17 crops including soybeans, corn, canola, cotton and sugar beets.

China does not allow the planting of GMO but imports of some GM crops are allowed. Tuesday's approval of GMO imports is the first in 18 months.