The《Environmental Protection Tax Law》is China's first standalone tax law embodying a "green tax system" and will be officially implemented in January 1, 2018! It is understood that 31 provinces (municipalities, autonomous regions) have successively announced the specific tax rates and number for taxable atmospheric and water pollutants. The specific tax rates for environmental protection tax on atmospheric and water pollutants in each province are levied within the ranges of-12 yuan per pollution equivalent and 1.4-14 yuan per pollution equivalent, respectively, with localities able to determine specific standards within these ranges based on actual conditions.hem, Beijing has the highest charging standards in the country, while the environmental protection tax standards in Tianjin, Hebei, Sichuan, and other provinces and cire 3-5 times the minimum standard; regions with relatively strong environmental carrying capacity, such as Ningxia, Gansu, Jiangxi, and Jilin, have adopted the original discharge fe standards; and some provinces, including Shanxi, Hubei, Fujian, and Yunnan, have appropriately raised the standards.

Beijing implements the upper limit of the environmental protection tax reform standard

The 42nd meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th Beijing Municipal People's Congress, held on the morning of December 1, voted the "Decision on the Applicable Tax Rates for Environmental Protection Tax on Taxable Atmospheric and Water Pollutants in Beijing," stipulating that starting next year, the applicable tax rate for taxablec pollutants in Beijing shall be 12 yuan per pollution equivalent, and the applicable tax rate for taxable water pollutants shall be 14 yuan per pollution equivalent, both representing theper limit of the statutory range.

Taiyang Chemical announces price increase for flexible packaging products

Recently, Sun Chemical announced that it will raise prices for its liquid inks and coatings used in flexible packaging applications starting from Jnuary 1, 2018, and the price increase will apply to customers in all its global regions. It is reported that the extent of the price hike varies slightly depending on the product composition and poduct lines. Sun Chemical stated that this is due to rising costs since the end of 2016, and further price increases are possible in 2018. Sun Chem pointed out that strict production and environmental management regulations, particularly in China, along with a series of unforeseen force majeure events, have led to increased costs for key raw mates, while the prices of key monomers for petroleum, solvents, and synthetic polyurethane resins are also rising. Furthermore, the supply of titanium dioxide white pigment remains tigh has further exacerbated the magnitude of the cost increase.

Recently, the Environmental Protection Department of Fujian Province issued the "Letter from the Environmental Protection Department of Fujian Province on Soliciting Opinions on Provincial Emission Standard for Air Pollutants from Industrial Coating Processes (Draft for Comments) and Other Three Local Environmental Standards," soliciting opinions on three mandatory local environmental stdards: the "Fujian Provincial Emission Standard for Air Pollutants from Industrial Coating Processes," the "Fujian Provincial Emission Standard for Air Pollutants from Packaging ing Industry," and the "Fujian Provincial Comprehensive Emission Standard for Volatile Organic Compounds in Industrial Atmosphere."

On December 9, the unveiling ceremony of the Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication (BIGC) Off-campus Education Internship Base and the opening ceremon of the BIGC-Tongze Part-time Postgraduate Program were held in the lush campus of Guangzhou Tongze Machinery Co., Ltd. Over 40 guests and students, inclung Luo Xueke, President of BIGC; Qi Yuansheng, Dean of the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering; Yang Hong, Executive Vice Dean of the Graduate Schoo Kong Huanji, Advisor to the Guangdong Printing and Replication Industry Association; Chen Baoxiang, Deputy Secretary-General; Zhu Zhiwei, Vice President and Secretary-General he Guangdong Packaging Technology Association; Fan Junhong, Deputy Secretary-General and Editor-in-Chief of *Packaging Frontiers*; Zuo Guangshen, Chairman of Gugzhou Tongze Machinery Co., Ltd.; Lin Huaxiang, General Manager; and students from Guangzhou Tongze, Meiyingsen, Guangdong Shunchang Printing, Gungdong Lingfeng, Guangdong Yinshenghuo, and Guangzhou Weitai, jointly witnessed this significant milestone event.