Call to wake up to REACH rules

Zhou Xin finds the picture of a giant test tube outside the European Commission building in Brussels a little unsettling.

It's an advertisement for REACH, the new European Union regulation on chemical manufacturing and imports, which comes into effect from June 1. Zhou, an expert with the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine, and many others like him fear Chinese exporters are not ready for REACH.

According to REACH (registration, evaluation, authorization and restrictions of chemicals), all chemicals produced in large volumes or considered a health or environmental hazard will be subject to registration with the European Chemicals Agency.