Ministry reminds firmsof labelling law changes

A revised Commodity Labeling Law (商品標示法) will come into effect next week and is designed to improve protection of consumer rights, the Minister of Economic Affairs said yesterday.

Starting Friday, all commodities will have to be labeled in Chinese and English with information on the product's applications and usages, as well as list the number of a consumer hotline.

Officials from the ministry's Department of Commerce said President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) promulgated the revised law on June 25 last year and that after a year of raising awareness, the law will be enforced.

The officials said that the biggest difference between the old and the revised version of the law is that the old law governed only producers, manufacturers and importers, while the revised law will also cover distributors.

In line with Taiwan's entry into the WTO, the revised regulations also stipulate that the original place of production must be labeled in Chinese and English.

The revised law also stipulates that food products should contain usage and preservation instructions.

The officials reminded manu-facturers to be aware of the new regulations.

They said violators will be given time to improve, but once the grace period expires, they can be fined between NT$30,000 (US$895) and NT$300,000.

Serious offenders could have their business suspended.