China's Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) sprang a surprise on the automotive industry, announcing the date for mandatory China IV(CN4) emissions as 1 July 2011.
Although car makers had been planning for the new environmental regulations for some time, the actual date for the regulation change had not been set. From 1 July, all new gasoline vehicles, whether manufactured locally or imported, must now meet CN4 emissions standards.
The regulations include light-duty, dual-fuel and single gasoline vehicles and any imported vehicles must seek certification from the Ministry before being brought into China. The stringent regulations also mean that OEMs are required to report regularly on production plans, vehicle identification numbers (VIN) and sales volumes for quality assurance purposes.
The Ministry is determined that CN4 is well regulated and has also told manufacturers that it will conduct regular inspections, with vehicle type approval and certificates being revoked if standards are not met. The MEP has also delegated responsibility for regular monitoring within China to local environmental protection departments. Any manufacturers not meeting the standards will be prosecuted under Article 53 of the "PRC Air Pollution Prevention Law".
The new standards are China's latest steps in clamping down on vehicle pollution. At the same time, diesel emission regulations have also been stepped up, with July 1 being set as the date for sulphur levels of diesel across China to meet CN3 standards of 350ppm. This is expected to be tightened further to CN4 levels for diesel by 2014, although no date has yet been set. However, some cities - Beijing, Shanghai and Guandong - have already moved to the higher emissions standards as part of a wider anti-pollution initiative.