New pesticide labeling regulations from China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs effective 2026

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China has issued an official announcement to further standardize the management of pesticide labels and instruction manuals. The new requirements will take effect on 1 January 2026. Pesticide products manufactured before 1 January 2026 whose labels or manuals do not comply with the new rules may continue to be sold until the end of their shelf life.

Key provisions of the announcement:

Every pesticide formulation must display the registration certificate number and the name of the manufacturer of the technical material (or technical concentrate) used. These details may instead be embedded in the traceable electronic code, and the holder of the formulation’s registration certificate is responsible for their accuracy.

All products sharing the same registration certificate number must bear the same trademark. Products that are contract-manufactured or repacked are prohibited from carrying the trademark of the contractor or repacker.

When a pesticide is registered for use on herbicide-tolerant crops, the label must specify the exact crop variety. If intended for herbicide-tolerant genetically modified crops, both the crop and the transformation event (e.g., specific GM trait) must be named.

If the use of the pesticide requires the addition of a designated adjuvant, relevant information about that adjuvant must be stated on the label.