China does have very strict control over pharmaceutical imports. So far, only imports of products not produced in China, those for which local production can not meet local demand or is of insufficient quality, and those for which raw materials for processing can be imported at a lower cost that using domestic inputs are permitted to be imported. This is why there are formidable barriers to entering the Chinese pharmaceutical market. Manufacturing and selling products in China is also a complex registration and application process. It takes an average of three years to complete the costly process of securing a manufacturing and distribution license.
