France Wants to Work with China on Joint Cosmetic Standards

The standards developed will determine the conditions under which cosmetics produced by French companies can be sold in China.

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Yesterday (July 27), France wants to discuss cooperation with China on common standards for cosmetics, Bloomberg news.

The move is said to be due to EU concerns that Beijing's previous demands that companies such as L'Oréal and LVMH Group store information about their products in databases could end up revealing trade secrets under the guise of product safety.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire will travel to China on Friday to discuss economic and financial cooperation, including intellectual property rights in the luxury and cosmetics sectors.

According to an official who asked not to be named, Le Maire's visit will discuss the creation of a joint structure to encourage the development of common standards for cosmetic efficacy claims and safety. These standards will determine the conditions under which cosmetics produced by French companies can be sold in China, the official added.

It is reported that the development of the joint standards could be a response to China's request for cosmetic companies to provide data on everything from ingredients to details of the manufacturing process, sourcing of raw materials and the precise composition of formulations. And the European Union and the United States have long been concerned that certain Chinese policies and practices could lead to the leakage of technology and intellectual property.