As a key input for agricultural production, the quality, safety and trade regulation of pesticides are not only related to the development of the agricultural industry, but also involve the ecological environment and public health. To further strengthen the management of pesticide exports and promote the high-quality development of the industry, on November 3, 2025, the Crop Production Management Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs officially issued the "Letter on Soliciting Opinions on the Regulations for the Registration of Pesticides for Overseas Use Only" in accordance with the relevant requirements of the "Pesticide Administration Regulations" and the "Measures for the Administration of Pesticide Registration", and publicly solicited opinions from the society. This measure marks that the registration management of pesticides for overseas use only in China will enter a more systematic and standardized new stage, providing clear guidance for the compliant development of pesticide export trade.

The new regulations for which opinions are being solicited this time adopt the core concept of "precision definition, classified implementation, and whole-process control", and establish a management framework covering the entire process of registration application, information submission, modification and renewal, and supervision and management. In terms of defining the eligibility for registration applications, the new regulations clearly stipulate that pesticide production enterprises must hold supporting documents for overseas use, and classify four types of applicable application scenarios based on the domestic registration status of active ingredients, realizing differentiated management. For active ingredients that have not obtained domestic use registration, enterprises can flexibly choose to apply for the registration of technical concentrates (technical materials) and formulations for overseas use only simultaneously or in steps, taking into account the actual needs of enterprise R&D and exports; for active ingredients that have obtained domestic registration, enterprises are not only allowed to apply for the registration of technical concentrates or technical materials with different contents, but also the registration of single formulations and mixed formulations containing such active ingredients has broken through the original restrictions on pesticide content and proportioning, providing greater space for enterprises to adapt to the needs of overseas markets. It is worth noting that for active ingredients within the registration data protection period, the new regulations require applicants to obtain the consent of the first registrant, which not only protects the legitimate rights and interests of innovative entities, but also maintains the market competition order.

The standardized design of the information submission link is an important guarantee for ensuring the quality and safety of exported pesticides. The new regulations clearly require applicants to submit five categories of materials, including the pesticide registration application form, product registration materials, copy of the pesticide production license, commitment letter not to sell or use the product domestically, and supporting documents for overseas use, forming a complete chain of qualification review and quality control. Among them, differentiated requirements are imposed on product registration materials based on the domestic registration status of active ingredients. Technical concentrates without domestic registration need to provide comprehensive physical and chemical properties, full-component analysis and other materials, while products with domestic registration focus on verifying quality standards and testing reports, which not only ensures the accuracy of supervision, but also reduces the compliance costs of enterprises. Especially in terms of supporting documents for overseas use, the new regulations distinguish between two scenarios where the product is managed as a pesticide overseas and where it is not, requiring registration certificates or import approval documents respectively. At the same time, clear regulations are made on the qualification certificates of suppliers, effectively avoiding compliance risks in international trade.

In terms of registration modification and renewal management, the new regulations not only continue the core norms of the "Requirements for Pesticide Registration Data", but also add special requirements based on the characteristics of overseas use. When modifying the registration to add export destinations, the corresponding supporting documents for overseas use must be supplemented to ensure compliance with the new markets; the renewal registration strengthens the connection with domestic registration, clearly stipulating that if there is a similar domestic registration for the same formulation, the overseas registration will no longer be approved for renewal, effectively avoiding resource waste and market chaos. This "domestic and overseas coordination" management logic not only adheres to the safety bottom line of pesticide management, but also takes into account the flexibility of export trade.

Other management requirements in the new regulations further strengthen the supervision of pesticide exports. The six-month technical review time limit provides a clear timeline for the approval work and improves administrative efficiency; the exclusive registration certificate numbering rule of "EX + year + four-digit serial number" enables the whole-process traceability of pesticides for overseas use; regulations such as "limited to export to designated countries (regions)", "prohibition of commissioned processing", and "treatment as counterfeit pesticides if sold or used domestically" block regulatory loopholes in the circulation link and ensure the rigid constraint of "for overseas use only". These detailed regulations have established a full-chain supervision system of "pre-approval review, in-process supervision, and post-event traceability", providing a solid guarantee for the compliance of pesticide exports.

The introduction of these new regulations is an important improvement to China's pesticide export management system and has multiple far-reaching significance for the industry development. At the enterprise level, the clear registration procedures and standards provide clear guidance for enterprises to carry out overseas business, helping to reduce compliance risks and enhance international market competitiveness; at the supervision level, the differentiated management model and full-process information review realize the precise allocation of supervision resources and improve the efficiency of pesticide export supervision; at the industry level, by standardizing the market order and ensuring quality and safety, it helps China's pesticide industry establish a good international image and promote the transformation from "scale expansion" to "quality improvement".

At present, the regulations are in the stage of soliciting opinions. The public and relevant entities can feed back their opinions to the Crop Production Management Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in writing or via email before November 21, 2025. It is believed that with the in-depth advancement of the opinion solicitation and the final implementation of the regulations, China's pesticide export management will become more standardized and efficient, injecting strong impetus into the high-quality development of agricultural international trade.