Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 411/2

19 September 2013

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 757/2013

Argentina : Phthalate Level in Health Certificate for Plastic Materials Used in Wine Bottles

This circular supersedes Commercial Information Circular no. 711/2013 issued on 2 September 2013.

2. The Argentine government issued a Resolution No. 26/2013 on 4 July 2013 requiring manufacturers, importers, sellers and distributors of epoxy coatings, various types of plastic containers, natural and synthetic corks, and fittings for screw caps that have been approved as suppliers by the National Wine Institute (or "Instituto Nacional de Vitivinicultura" (INV) in Spanish) to submit by 1 January 2014 an updated health certificate issued by the National Institute of Industrial Technology (or "Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial" in Spanish) setting out the level of phthalates contained in the plastic materials used in wine bottles.

3. Failure to submit the required certificate will result in the automatic termination of the INV approval.

4. The permissible phthalate level is set out in the "Positive List of Plastic Additives Intended for Use in Plastic Containers with Food Contact" appended to the Southern Common Market (Mercosur¹ ) GMC Resolution No. 32/2007.

5. For details, traders are advised to consult their importers in Argentina and/or the above Argentine Resolution and Mercosur Resolution (in Spanish):

ENQUIRIES

6.For enquiries about the content of this circular, please contact Miss S Y TANG at telephone number 2398 5405.

Yours faithfully,

(Ms Cindy CHENG)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry