What is the current market status of phenacetin-containing compound analgesics like Sudingpian in China, and how do regulations affect their trade?

What is the current market status of phenacetin-containing compound analgesics like Sudingpian in China, and how do regulations affect their trade?
In China, phenacetin-containing products such as Sudingpian (compound analgesic tablets) remain legally available as prescription drugs, despite phenacetin being globally recognized as obsolete. Each tablet contains 150 mg aminopyrine, 150 mg phenacetin, 50 mg caffeine, and 15 mg phenobarbital. The Chinese health authority listed aminopyrine and phenacetin among drugs to phase out as early as 1982, yet these formulations persist in pharmacies due to entrenched consumer habits among elderly populations and low prices. This regulatory gray zone sustains domestic demand for phenacetin as an API, primarily sourced from Chinese manufacturers using sodium sulfide in synthesis. However, growing awareness of nephrotoxicity and carcinogenic nitrosamine formation is gradually reducing prescriptions, pushing the market toward a slow decline while export opportunities to less-regulated markets remain.