BEIJING—China postponed for two years a regulation requiring certificates guaranteeing the quality and safety of all food imports, after pushback from the U.S. and European countries.
The delay came just before the rule's Oct. 1 deadline. Western trade groups said implementation in effect would cut China off from much of the global food supply. The rule covers all food products, from raw ingredients to processed items, requiring certification for each shipment, a condition Western governments argued was unnecessarily stringent.
China notified the World Trade Organization on Monday that it will institute a two-year transition period ..