What are the new requirements in the new Regulations on the Control of Mailable Items?

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What are the new requirements in the new Regulations on the Control of Mailable Items? Source: Compliance Chemistry Network. Added on: 2016-12-26 11:14:03. Views: 117. On December 16, 2016, the **Postal Service, the Ministry of Public Security, and the **Security Department jointly issued a notice regarding the \"Regulations on the Prohibition of Certain Items Being Sent by Mail\" (hereinafter referred to as the \"Regulations\"), attaching the full text of these regulations as an appendix. At the same time, the Provisions shall come into force officially as of the date of issuance. **The \"Guidelines on Prohibited Items and Procedures for Their Handling (Trial Version)\\" issued by the Postal Service on November 6, 2007 (Guo You Fa [2007] No. 152) is also repealed simultaneously. I. The new regulations clarify the categories of \"items prohibited from being sent.\" Under these new rules, \"items prohibited from being sent\" are mainly divided into the following three categories: (1) Various items that pose a threat to **security, disrupt social order, or undermine social stability ； (II) Various items that pose a threat to delivery safety, such as those that are explosive, flammable, corrosive, toxic, infectious, or radioactive ； (III) Other items prohibited from being mailed as stipulated by laws, administrative regulations, and the State Council and its relevant departments. Compared to the old regulations, the new ones provide a clearer definition of the items that are prohibited from being sent, which makes it easier for shipping companies and postal authorities to identify such items. II. Revision of the “Guidance Catalogue on Items Prohibited from Being Shipped” The core content of the new regulations is the appendix, the “Guidance Catalogue on Items Prohibited from Being Shipped” (hereinafter referred to as the “Catalogue”). A comparison shows that the new catalogue is more comprehensive, informative, and practical. In terms of quantity, the list of items for guidance has increased from 14 to 19 items at present (18 categories of items + other items), and the number of specified items has risen from 58 to 188. In terms of content, the changes in the guidance catalog are much greater than what is reflected in the numbers, and the order of entries for the vast majority of prohibited items differs from that in the old catalog. In terms of technical content, the main differences are shown in Figure 1. Figure 1: Major changes in the new catalog. Meanwhile, the previously controversial category of \"other items prohibited from being shipped\" (Article 14) in the old catalog is also explained more clearly in the new catalog (Article 19). The new regulations state that, except for other items prohibited from being mailed as stipulated by laws, administrative regulations, the State Council, and relevant departments of the State Council, hazardous chemicals listed in several key supervision catalogs in China all fall under the category of “other items prohibited from mailing” in the new catalog, as shown in Table 1. Table 1: List of Major “Prohibited Substances” in China. If the item to be sent is one of those listed in any of the tables in Table 1, then such item is prohibited from being sent. It is worth noting that since the newly released List of Hazardous Chemicals (2015 edition) has been aligned with the GHS system, according to its classification principles, all hazardous chemicals theoretically fall under the scope of this List. This also indirectly indicates that, with the implementation of the Regulations on the Control of Mail- Sent Items, all hazardous chemicals are prohibited from being sent under normal circumstances. III. Clarified the main responsibilities and obligations of all parties (1) Specified the scope of supervision by postal administration authorities. Postal administration authorities shall supervise and guide enterprises that provide mailing services (hereinafter referred to as mailing enterprises) to implement inspection systems for receiving mail, and urge such enterprises to strengthen the safety management of mailing operations ； Supervise and guide delivery companies to strengthen safety education and training for their employees ； Conduct safety inspections and supervision on mailing enterprises in accordance with the law, and investigate and deal with acts of illegally accepting items that are prohibited from being mailed ； Units and individuals that effectively prevent and reduce delivery safety incidents may be commended in accordance with the law. (II) It stipulates the security obligations of mail senders. The new regulations state that when sending mail or parcels, users must comply with laws, administrative regulations, as well as the provisions set by the State Council and its relevant departments regarding items that are prohibited from being sent. It is forbidden to send such prohibited items, to include them within mail or parcels, or to conceal them or misrepresent them as other types of items when sending them. (III) Strengthening the primary responsibilities of delivery companies: The new regulations devote considerable space to clarifying the primary responsibilities of delivery companies. Firstly, such companies must display these regulations as well as the relevant guidance documents in their business premises and make them available to the public through other means ； Secondly, it is necessary to establish and improve safety education and training systems to enhance the awareness, identification skills, and handling capabilities of employees regarding prohibited items; training must be provided to those who take up their posts ； A strict inspection system for items being sent should be implemented before delivery, to prevent prohibited items from entering the delivery process ； Shipping companies should also establish safety inspection procedures and plans for dealing with prohibited items; when such items are discovered during shipping, they must be handled properly in accordance with the established plans. Since different prohibited items in our country are under the responsibility of various competent authorities, Article 11 of the new regulations also provides detailed guidance for delivery companies on how to report such incidents. That is, it should be reported to the relevant authorities when different types of prohibited items are discovered. If **ammunition, drugs precursor chemicals, and other such items are found, report it to the public security authorities** ； Upon discovering various types of illegal publications, printed materials, audio-visual products, and other promotional materials that pose a threat to **security and social stability, report them to the departments in charge of **security, public security, press and publication, etc ； When any items prohibited from entry or exit are discovered, report them to the customs, **security, and entry-exit inspection and quarantine authorities. IV. Relevant Precautions The newly issued \"Regulations on the Prohibition of Certain Items to be Sent\" undoubtedly has a profound impact on the mailing industry. Both shipping users and shipping companies will inevitably make corresponding adjustments after the new regulations come into effect; especially shipping companies, as the entities bearing primary responsibility, any slight negligence or mistake in their work could lead to illegal activities or even criminal offenses. Therefore, after the new regulations come into effect, for the chemical industry, we should first pay attention to the following points: (1) Clarify the scope of \"prohibited items\". It is easy to see from the guide catalog that, in order to align with the international system for the transport of dangerous goods, the new regulations include eight out of the nine categories of dangerous goods listed in the TDG code – namely explosives, gases, flammable liquids, and so on – in the list of goods prohibited from transportation (with the exception of the ninth category of miscellaneous substances). Secondly, in order to minimize the risks associated with shipping, the “other items” category in the new catalog covers virtually all existing hazardous chemicals in our country. Therefore, both mailing users and mailing companies should first clarify the items that are prohibited from being mailed, in order to avoid breaking the law due to lack of awareness. (II) Strictly comply with the one-size-fits-all regulatory approach. At present, the regulatory approach in China’s delivery industry remains one-size-fits-all; the focus of regulation is still on the items themselves, with no specific regulations regarding their packaging. This also indicates, indirectly, that exemptions such as \"limited quantity shipping\" and \"exceptional quantity shipping\" commonly used internationally still do not apply to China’s mailing industry. (III) Ship items in accordance with existing regulations. Due to the special hazards of chemicals and the unpredictability associated with their delivery, coupled with the numerous incidents of \"toxic parcels\" that have occurred in China in the past, the delivery industry has developed a strong aversion to handling hazardous chemicals. At the same time, given that the integration of China’s packaging industry and logistics industry is still in its exploratory phase, it is better to avoid taking the risk of \"keeping tigers in cages\" rather than keeping tigers at all. Therefore, under the current national conditions, it remains highly necessary to send items in accordance with existing regulations. (IV) Stay constantly informed about new developments in the “regulations”. The new regulations specify that the “Prohibited Mail Guidelines” are dynamic and will be adjusted as needed at later stages (Article 13). To avoid delays, relevant parties, especially delivery companies, should stay informed at all times and actively implement the latest regulations.