Taiwan to End Cosmetic Animal Testing by 2019

An anti-animal testing bill that will effectively ban the sale of cosmetics tested on animals—including ingredients and end-products—was signed into Taiwan’s legislation last week. The bill was initiated in April and promoted by Humane Society International, which worked in partnership with the Taiwan SPCA to launch the #BeCrueltyFree Taiwan campaign. “We gained the support of Taiwanese celebrities and launched innovative campaign strategies such as creating an educational video cartoon to play in taxi cabs across Taipei to harness public support for the ban,” Humane Society of the United States President Wayne Pacelle says. Unfortunately, the Taiwanese ban will not extend to products exported from other countries. In 2013, India placed a similar ban on cosmetic testing. However, manufacturing giant China remains one of the largest countries to test consumer products on animals, resulting in the exploitation of approximately 30,000 rabbits, mice, and other animals.