. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/CHN/21
19 June 2003
(03-3279)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   Standardization Administration of China (SAC)
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:           
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):
Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) resin for bottles, HS code: 39076010          
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:
Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) resin for bottles, 11 pages
6. Description of content:  This standard revises GB/T17931-1999 Bottle Grade Polyester
Chip  The revised standard will be an article compulsory standard. Articles on requirements
for acetaldehyde content inside PET resin in the standard are compulsory while other
articles are recommended. The content of compulsory articles is: PET resin for bottles usedfor contacting food applies the analytical method for acetaldehyde content in this standard,
its acetaldehyde should be ≤1.0µg /g.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  At
present, polyester bottles using high viscosity PET resin are widely used for carbonated
drinks, mineral water, liquor, edible oil and other food packaging. The acetaldehyde
remained in PET resin is toxic to health. Acco rding to requirements on domestic and foreign
products, this standard specifies compulsory requirements for acetaldehyde content in PETresin for bottles contacting with food. This will help to prevent the circulation of unqualified
products to the food packaging market and to protect the health of consumers.
8. Relevant documents:
GB13114-1991 Hygiene standard for poly(ethylene te rephthalate) products used as food
containers and packaging materials . It has specified the content of lead and antimony in
PET resin as well as the extracts of water, ethanol, acetic acid and N-hexane of different
back-flow time, but has no requirements for acetaldehyde content.G/TBT/N/CHN/21
Page 2
9. Proposed date of adoption:  90 days after circulation by WTO Secretariat
Proposed date of entry into force:  6 months after adoption      
    
10. Final date for comments:   60 days after circulation by WTO Secretariat
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:
China WTO/TBT National Enquiry Point
Tel: +86 10 82260618
Fax: +86 10 82262448
E-mail: tbt@aqsiq.gov.cn