US official says uncertified exporters face ban

US Health and Human Services secretary Mike Leavitt said Chinese companies that don’t meet product-quality certification standards in their home country will not be allowed to export to the US, the Wall Street Journal reported. Leavitt also said he was meeting with Chinese regulators to close a loophole in the certification process that allowed chemical companies to produce drug ingredients without inspection. "My assessment is that they are taking it seriously," he said of China’s improving regulatory enforcement. He added that both sides are working to establish an FDA office in China to allow for cooperation among regulators, especially when a crisis arises.