Policy & Regulation

India's Drugs Technical Advisory Board has recommended amendments to the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019, to clarify GMP requirements for new drugs and APIs made for clinical trials, BA/BE studies, and non-clinical testing. At its 94th meeting on August 27, 2026, the DTAB proposed changes to Rules 55 and 63, separating clinical-development manufacturing from analytical or non-clinical material. Clinical trial and BA/BE batches would require GMP-compliant facilities under the Drugs Rule

• GMP
• pharma
• api
• Clinical
• drug

France, Italy and Germany plan to jointly ask the European Commission within weeks to open a safeguards investigation into PET resin, epoxy resins and fibreglass and set import quotas — a rarely used trade defence tool that would apply to all suppliers, not just China.

• EU China Trade
• Safeguards Investigation
• PET Resin
• Epoxy Resins
• Fibreglass

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng opened a new round of high-level economic talks in New York on September 20, covering tariffs, critical minerals, artificial intelligence and possible changes to selected investment restrictions, including in pharmaceuticals.

• US China Trade
• Critical Minerals
• Tariff Policy
• Pharma Investment
• Global Trade

The U.S. Department of Commerce formally imposed antidumping and countervailing duty orders on animal-feed-grade L-lysine from China on September 16, with antidumping cash-deposit rates reaching 139.65% and subsidy rates reaching 82.11%.

• L Lysine
• Antidumping Duty
• Countervailing Duty
• Feed Additives
• China US Trade

The U.S. House passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 by 262–159 on September 16, sending legislation that authorizes tariffs of up to 100% on certain major buyers of Russian oil and gas to the president.

• Russia Sanctions
• Energy Trade
• Tariff Policy
• Oil and Gas
• Global Trade

The UK Competition and Markets Authority has formally opened its Phase 1 review of the proposed AkzoNobel–Axalta merger, a transaction expected to create a global coatings company with approximately USD 25 billion in enterprise value and USD 17 billion in annual revenue.

• AkzoNobel Axalta
• Coatings Industry
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Antitrust Review
• Chemical Industry

A U.S. federal judge has allowed key PFAS claims brought by Connecticut firefighters against more than 20 defendants, including 3M, DuPont and Honeywell, to move forward, including medical-monitoring relief for some firefighters who have not developed outward symptoms of disease.

• PFAS Litigation
• Chemical Regulation
• 3M
• DuPont
• Firefighter Safety

President Donald Trump has publicly urged Ukraine to stop attacking Russian refining and diesel infrastructure as shrinking fuel exports begin to disrupt global logistics, industrial costs and energy policy.

• Global Diesel Market
• Refining Capacity
• Chemical Logistics
• Energy Security
• Russia Ukraine

Britain’s proposed critical chemicals scheme has entered formal subsidy review, with selected producers potentially receiving support covering up to half of eligible project costs.

• Critical Chemicals
• UK Chemical Industry
• Industrial Subsidies
• Supply Chain Resilience
• Chemical Policy

Colombia has issued a preliminary ruling in its anti-dumping investigation into dioctyl phthalate (DOP) imports from China, declining to impose provisional duties at this stage. The probe remains active, with no final determination yet reached. The product falls under tariff subheading 2917.32.00.00. Initiated in June 2026 following a complaint by CARBOQUIMICA S.A.S., the investigation examines alleged dumping from April 10, 2025, to April 9, 2026. Colombia’s Ministry of Commerce published Resol

• Anti-Dumping
• DOP
• dioctyl phthalate

Japan and South Korea have launched formal supply-chain cooperation covering emergency LNG, crude and petroleum-product supplies as the Hormuz crisis highlights Northeast Asia's exposure to Middle Eastern energy disruptions.

• Japan South Korea
• Energy Supply Chain
• LNG Market
• Crude Oil Supply
• Asian Petrochemicals

The formal publication of U.S. antidumping and countervailing-duty investigations into Indian PFA adds a new layer of trade risk to a small-volume but strategically important fluoropolymer market.

• Fluoropolymers
• PFA Materials
• Trade Remedy
• Specialty Chemicals
• Supply Chain Risk

China’s new food-contact standards for coatings and silicone rubber are now in force, pushing formulators, packaging suppliers and global exporters to recheck how their materials are approved, tested and documented.

• Food Contact Materials
• Packaging Chemicals
• Coatings
• Silicone Rubber
• China Regulation

The U.S. plans to push G20 economies to reassess trade terms with China over global imbalances, potentially increasing trade-remedy and supply-chain compliance pressure on Chinese chemical and materials exporters even though no coordinated new G20 tariffs have yet been agreed.

• US China Trade
• G20 Policy
• China Chemical Exports
• Trade Barriers
• Supply Chain Compliance

Rising U.S.-Canada tariff tensions are creating uncertainty for North America’s integrated chemical industry, increasing pressure on companies to reassess logistics, sourcing strategies and regional supply chain resilience.

• US Canada Trade
• Chemical Supply Chain
• North America Chemicals
• Tariff Risk
• Global Trade Policy

On August 11, the Eurasian Economic Commission initiated a changed circumstances review of anti-dumping measures on Chinese titanium dioxide. The review covers pigment-grade products with at least 80% titanium dioxide content, excluding those for fragrances, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food. Notably, anti-dumping duty collection is suspended during the investigation period—a rare practice. This follows the October 2025 imposition of duties up to 16.25% and price undertakings with six Chinese

• EAEU
• Anti-Dumping
• TitaniumDioxide
• China
• FineChemicals

Between June and July 2026, Pakistan's National Tariff Commission launched several anti-dumping investigations targeting Chinese exports, including soda ash, composite aluminum foil, ibuprofen, and ceramic tableware. These products span basic chemicals, pharmaceutical ingredients, packaging, and consumer goods. The scope signals that Pakistan's protective measures are extending into more specialized sectors where China holds strong export advantages.The soda ash investigation began June 11 follo

• Pakistan
• China
• AntidumpingInvestigations

FDA lifted the administrative stay on its Red No. 3 delisting order on August 5, 2026, restoring the January 2027 deadline for food and dietary supplements and the January 2028 deadline for ingested drugs.

• FDA Red No 3
• Food Color Regulation
• Food Additives
• Product Reformulation
• Regulatory Compliance

China’s drug regulator has introduced a priority review pathway for chemical active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), effective August 1, 2026. The new policy allows applicants to request expedited review under four categories, including APIs linked to priority-reviewed formulations, first domestic manufacturing applications, overseas-made APIs for originator production, and market-shortage varieties. For most cases, applicants can submit the priority request directly with their marketing autho

• NMPA
• ChemicalActivePharmaceuticalIngredients

On July 23, 2026, the U.S. Trade Representative announced new Section 301 tariffs on certain food and nutritional ingredients from China, effective July 24. A 12.5% surcharge now applies on top of standard MFN duties. Affected products include creatine, taurine, glucosamine, MSM, sucralose, and xanthan gum—key inputs for sports nutrition, joint health, functional foods, and general food processing. With China as the dominant supplier for many of these ingredients, U.S. importers face limited alt

• NutritionalIngredients
• FoodAdditives