China may ease its restriction on some European-made cosmetics containing animal byproducts. 
 
China may ease its restriction on some European-made cosmetics containing animal byproducts.

An EU official told Dow Jones that discussions between the two sides have achieved some positive results.

China imposed the ban in early 2002 citing fears of contamination of cosmetics by animal byproducts that might transmit the human variant of BSE, or the Mad Cow disease.

China began easing the ban in December, 2002 and discussions continue on a total lifting of remaining import blocks to E.U. cosmetics.

While the majority of European cosmetic imports to China have resumed, China maintains a ban on cosmetics from two unnamed European countries.
 
(CRI September 22, 2003)