Control tightened on hazardous substances in electronics

China has issued its first mandatory national standards for controlling hazardous substances in electrical and electronic products, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The standards, which will be implemented starting on Aug 1, 2027, set clear limits on the amount of 10 hazardous substances that can be used in electrical and electronic products. They include four heavy metals — lead, mercury, cadmium and hexavalent chromium, as well as six persistent organic compounds.

The standards will spur electrical and electronic product manufacturers to strengthen efforts to reduce and replace hazardous substances in products, build an eco-friendly supply chain and help protect the health of consumers, the ministry said.

It's commonly understood in the international community that there should be restrictions in the use of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants in electrical and electronic products, the ministry said.

Wang Peng, an official from the ministry, said that the methods for testing these hazardous substances in the standards are in line with relevant international technical requirements, consolidating the competitiveness of Chinese products in the international market.

In 2006, China issued a regulation to control pollution caused by electronic information products. In 2016, the ministry and seven other departments issued a regulation to restrict the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic products,

Extra vigilance urged against grain crop diseases, pests

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs urged local authorities to make all-out efforts to prevent and control grain crop diseases and pests, and ensure a good harvest in autumn at a meeting held in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, earlier this month.

It was pointed out at the meeting that the tasks for monitoring, preventing and controlling grain crop diseases and pests remain arduous, as autumn-harvested grain crops are suffering more serious threats from diseases and pests than last year, according to a statement issued by the ministry.

Local authorities were required to step up efforts to monitor and issue alerts for grain crop disease and pest outbreaks.

They were asked to adopt eco-friendly measures in disease and pest control and prevention, such as using biological control methods and pesticides that are effective but pose lower risks to the environment.

The meeting also called for providing timely guidance for farmers to help them better prevent and treat crop diseases and pests.

Rural e-commerce sales increase 7.4% from January to July

Rural e-commerce sales grew by 7.4 percent year-on-year in the first seven months of 2025, a Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said on Thursday.

The per capita disposable income of rural residents also rose 6.2 percent in the first half of the year, ministry spokesperson He Yongqian said.

In terms of rural consumption, e-commerce has stimulated a more diverse supply of goods and services, enabling farmers to access high-quality and affordable products, she said.

She added that rural online retail sales had expanded 6.4 percent year-on-year during the January-July period.

The ministry will intensify efforts to boost rural e-commerce and support rural consumption, as well as increase farmers' incomes, the spokesperson said.