Doing Business in China For Dummies®

Approvals: Getting through the Red Tape

Certain industries need specific permits. You likely need to jump through these manufacturing-specific regulatory hoops.

Before construction

Before you build, you likely need to take the following steps in this order:

1.	Get preliminary project approval from the local office of the State Reform and Development Committee (SRDC) and get pre-approval from the local office of the State Administration for Environmental Protection (SAEP).
2.	Depending on your company’s industry and manufacturing processes, SAEP may require you to file an environmental impact assessment (EIA) report. In the EIA report, you need to apply for discharge permits for pollutants that your company will discharge. At the same time, you may be required to produce Safety Assessment and Healthcare Assessment reports — this also depends on your company’s industry.
3.	Obtain the Construction Use Land Planning Permit and the Construction Project Planning Permit. The local land bureau issues the Construction Use Land Planning Permit, and the local office of the Ministry of Construction issues the Construction Project Planning Permit. These permits are usually issued pretty quickly — in some cases, as quickly as a few working days.
4.	When you have your final environmental approval, the Construction Use Land Planning Permit, and the Construction Project Planning Permit (and the safety and healthcare approvals, if necessary), apply for the final project approval from SRDC.
5. ...