Browse Data and Analysis

On May 1, 2025, China released amended regulations governing the protection of new plant varieties. The amendments enhance the protection of new plant varieties, establish an essentially derived varieties system, extend the protection periods, shorten preliminary examination time, and strengthen the management of foreign variety rights applications.

On April 24, 2025, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) notified the National Standard for Legume Herbage Seed (Draft for Comments) to the World Trade Organization (WTO) under G/TBT/N/CHN/2053.

On October 28, 2024, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) published a revised “National Standard for Seed of Food Crops – Part 1: Cereals”, which will come into effect on October 1, 2025.

On October 28, 2024, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) published the revised mandatory national standard “General Directive for the Labeling of Agricultural Seeds”, which will come into effect on October 1, 2025.

On October 30, 2024, the National Agriculture Technology Extension Service Center (NATESC) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) released its supply and demand forecast for major crop seeds (i.e., rice, corn, wheat, soybean, cotton, and rapeseed) for Marketing Year (MY) 2024/25 at the National Seed Information Exchange and Commodity Trading Fair.

In Marketing Year (MY) 2022/23, China imported 67,000 metric tons (MT) of planting seeds valued at $478 million. The United States is the largest supplier of planting seeds to China, accounting for 22 percent of MY 2022/23 planting seeds imports by value.

On February 12, 2024, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) notified the General Directive for Labeling of Agricultural Seeds (draft) to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

On February 12, 2024, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) notified the National Standard for Seed of Food Crops – Part 1: Cereals (Draft) to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

On January 4, 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) published a revised “National Standard for Seed of Economic Crops - Part 2: Oil Species (Draft for Comments)." The revised draft standard pertains to seeds for sowing/planting...

On January 4, 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) published a revised “General Directive for Labeling of Agricultural Seeds (Draft for Comments).” The revised draft directive expands label content, requires a description of...

On January 5, 2024, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) notified the National Standard for Quality Grading for Gramineous Seeds (Draft for Comments) to the World Trade Organization (WTO) under G/TBT/N/CHN/1786.

On December 26, 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) announced the issuance of 85 seed production and operation licenses, including 26 genetically engineered (GE) corn and soybean seed production and operation licenses.