Approval time shortened for biological imports

The Beijing Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau has shortened the approval procedure of the imported fresh biological materials from 20 working days to 3 days, in order to save time for biomedical enterprises and research institutes, the Beijing Daily reported.

Beijing imports over 20,000 batches of biological materials annually. Huang Song, the assistant director of the National Institute of Biological Sciences Beijing, said that many of the imported living creatures like nematodes and fruit flies waste most of their short life spans on the approval procedure.

Huang added that after the implementing of the new procedure, it only takes 20 days from importing the creatures to using them in labs for research.