The National Union of Testing Laboratory for Import and Export Cosmetics was inaugurated in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Oct 12, with the approval from the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

The union, launched jointly by Food Laboratory of Guangdong Inspection and Quarantine Technology Center and five cosmetics inspection agencies, serves as a significant technical platform for the inspection and testing of import and export cosmetics and will improve the quality of China's cosmetics and promote the healthy development of the industry.

Currently, it has 10 institutions as its standing members including Guangdong Inspection and Quarantine Technology Center.

Cosmetics industry is one of the fastest growing industries in China. In 2016, the country's import and export cosmetics trade volume totaled $4.55 billion and the weight of the products exceeded 3 million tons, with a year-on-year increase of 8 percent and 14.5 percent respectively.

Guangdong, the largest cosmetics production province and a key base for the industry, has held 70 percent of the country's market shares and is also the largest port for the import and export of cosmetics.

The launch of the union is expected to promote long-term and healthy development of China's cosmetics industry, to deal with the quality safety and sanitation risks caused by the fasting-changing new materials and new production technology in domestic and overseas cosmetics sector, and to enhance win-win cooperation in cosmetics inspection field.

The union will bring together advantageous resources of cosmetics inspection and make sure the inspection abilities of its members are complementary, the technical resources are mutually helpful, and the test results are mutually recognized. Therefore, the whole quality and services of cosmetics inspection will be improved.

Meanwhile, a national cosmetics inspection lab public technical service platform will be built to offer efficient technical services for companies' product innovation and quality improvement and to give strong technical support to the healthy development of the country's cosmetics industry and import and export trade.

Institutions outside official inspection and quarantine systems and labs of cosmetics production enterprises that have strong test ability will be incorporated into the union, so will the cosmetics importers and exporters, industry associations, colleges and universities, and research institutes.

The consortium will become a communication channel between enterprises, government supervision departments and inspection agencies by providing various services such as testing and certification, technical training, policy interpretation and academic exchange. It will also be a new engine for the healthy development of China's cosmetics industry.