China To Boost Consumer Goods Quality And Standards

Mergers & Acquisition

China To Boost Consumer Goods Quality And Standards

The Chinese government is planning to raise the quality and standards of consumer goods and increase the effective supply of "Made in China" products to meet the growing demand for upgraded goods.

Efforts will be focused on general consumer goods in great demand and closely related to people's everyday life including food, home appliances, consumer electronics, decorative and renovation products, clothing and accessories, cosmetics and daily chemical goods, products for women, children, the elderly and disabled, cultural, educational, sports and leisure goods, etc. Market mechanisms and business entities will play a significant role, and a new regime comprising government-formulated standards and voluntary criteria set by market players can be established in a collaborative, coordinated manner, according to government officials.

First of all, the formulation of a series of mandatory national standards will be accelerated, with the quality and safety of consumer goods as the essential elements. Domestic standards will be aligned with international ones.

Second, enterprises are encouraged to increase their awareness of quality control, branding and marketing. Support will be provided to enterprises so as to enhance their ability to monitor, control and trace through online platforms the quality of products throughout their life cycles.

Third, an innovative approach to the monitoring of product standards and quality should be adopted. Company inspections, product checks and selection of testing institutes will be carried out on a random basis. Companies are encouraged to disclose their product and service standards by means of self-declarations. An accountability system which requires testing and certifying bodies to bear joint and several liability for product quality will be set up.

Fourth, a quality and safety traceability regime should be established to strengthen consumer rights protection and make the recall of defective products part of the regular monitoring procedure.

Fifth, improving the quality and standards of consumer goods should tie in closely with upgrading of equipment manufacturing. The evolution of the consumer market towards the middle-to-high end segment will in turn encourage equipment manufacturers to proactively improve the performance, functions and technological levels of their equipment. This will also help upgrade the entire "Made in China" supply chain.