India bans import of animal-tested cosmetics
15 Oct 2014
India on Tuesday banned the import of cosmetics that involved animal testing.
Coming just few months after implementation of a national ban on cosmetics testing on animals in India's labs, the import ban now makes India the first animal-tested cosmetics-free zone in South Asia.
The ban comes in the form of Rule 135-B that states, "Prohibition of import of cosmetics tested on animals. - No cosmetic that has been tested on animals after the commencement of Drugs and Cosmetics (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2014 shall be imported into the country".
The notification will come into effect on 13 November, i.e. 30 days from the date of notification.
In June, Humane Society International met with minister of health and family welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan to present a petition of more than 70,000 signatures supporting an import ban on animal-tested cosmetics.
Earlier this year #BeCrueltyFree campaigners in Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, Taiwan and the United States hailed the introduction of bills proposing national cosmetic animal test bans. Efforts by #BeCrueltyFree China also resulted in China removing mandatory animal testing for many domestically-produced cosmetics.