The top five APAC regulation and policy developments of 2017
While our story about the impact of India's nationwide GST took the top spot, three of the remaining four stories in the top five concerned China.
Unsurprisingly, e-commerce rules featured heavily, with widespread uncertainty around the booming channel finally being resolved — for another 12 months, at least — when officials issued a year-long extension for the current regulations, effective January 2018.
This was a welcome relief to international supplement firms who had enjoyed soaring sales through China's rocketing e-commerce platforms in recent years.
2017 was also characterised by strict new rules for infant formula firms in China, with manufacturers having to go through an arduous new process to be permitted to trade from 2018.
Read more about this, and the rest of our topic regulation and policy stories, here...
1) Higher GST for supplements in India will 'hit consumer health and market expansion'
Officials behind India's new goods and services tax (GST) were accused of a major oversight for failing to set a dedicated rate for supplements, which means they became subject to higher taxes than the industry had anticipated.
2) New China infant formula rules: Five international firms in first batch of approvals
China's Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) announced the first wave of infant nutrition companies and products that passed its new registration programme, and are now free to trade in the country from 1 January, 2018.
3) Chinese authorities to impose stricter labelling laws on health foods imported via e-commerce?
Supplements and functional food products imported into China via cross-border e-commerce could be subjected to the same labelling laws that apply to food items imported the traditional way, a regulations expert told us.
4) Milking the law? Industry responds to stricter infant formula rules in Singapore
Infant formula milk manufacturers claimed stricter regulations planned by the Singapore government could lead to consumers having limited access to important nutritional information.
5) China cross-border e-commerce rules extension a major business boost for industry
Supplement and food firms operating in China's booming cross border e-commerce market were buoyed by a year-long extension of the existing trade laws, which were due to be replaced on 1 January, 2018.
