China to better implement car recall regulation

China will step up coordination among government departments to better implement its newly amended car recall regulation, officials said on Nov 20.

An information sharing system among departments — including public security, transport and telecommunications — will be set up to exchange information on car owners, vehicle inspections and investigations into accidents, said Pu Changcheng, deputy director of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

The Administrative Regulations on Defective Automotive Product Recalls, which will take effect on Jan 1, impose much heavier penalties on automakers.

Manufacturers will face fines ranging from 50,000 yuan ($8,000) to 200,000 yuan if they fail to submit recall reports, and face a fine of up to 10 percent of the total value of recalled vehicles for failing to stop producing, selling or importing problematic vehicles, concealing the problems or refusing to recall the vehicles.

Previous rules, which were in place since 2004, imposed a maximum fine of 30,000 yuan on manufacturers for refusing to recall vehicles.

A total of 9 million vehicles had been recalled in China by Oct 29, according to the administration.