In the framework of the bilateral agreements recently signed by the presidents of Mexico and China, Enrique Peña Nieto and Xi Jinping, respectively, the representatives of both sanitary agencies, subscribed the first Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen cooperation in matters related to regulations and control of food and drug products, on the last days of October 2013.

Both heads of the regulatory agencies, Mikel Arriola from the Mexican COFEPRIS and Bian Zhenjia, from the Chinese CFDA, expressed a strong commitment on continuing collaboration efforts under their respective laws and regulations.

The main areas of cooperation included in this Memorandum of Understanding are:

• Exchange of legislation and regulation in matters related to food and health supplies.
• Information on laws and regulations related to food and health supplies.
• Exchange of safety information on food and therapeutic products, including pharmacovigilance and alerts.
• Exchange and cooperation related to Good Laboratory and Good Manufacturing Practices inspections.
• Exchange and cooperation related to scientific and technologic innovations for food and drug products.

China concentrates one of the biggest health supplies markets in the world, and supplies Mexico with health supply products worth more then 2 billion dollars annually. Products regulated by COFEPRIS represent more than 7% of the total trade volume between Mexico and China.

This MoU illustrates the increase in South-South cooperation, especially that led by the fast-growing BRIC countries.

It would be very interesting to see advances in cooperation of harmonization of GMP inspection/certification, especially considering that Mexico requires GMP verification of API sites for drug product registration, and that China is a very important supplier of APIs.