TCM firms should 'learn rules of West'

An expert in China's natural health products has one crucial suggestion for traditional Chinese medicine-makers interested in selling their products in the United States: Know the rules.

Though TCM is slowly gaining acceptance in the US, most remedies are sold as over-the-counter herbal supplements. Experts at the First China (Guizhou) International TCM Seminar on Tuesday in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province, said familiarity with US Food and Drug Administration regulations will help Chinese TCM companies sell their products in the US.

"The FDA has very specific regulations on the ingredients of dietary supplements, especially for TCM, due to the fact that most of the ingredients are herbs and some of them are controversial in the US," said Jeff Crowther, executive director of the US-China Health Products Association, a nonprofit organization that helps its members with their businesses in US and Chinese markets.