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Hazardous Chemicals Management
In May of 2023, China MEM issued a work plan for the special inspection on 35 target hazardous substances and reinforce law enforcement. South Korea opened a public consultation on the hazard assessments results new chemical substances registered under K-REACH. Japan announced the addition of 6 priority assessment chemical substances and the removal of 6 substances previously listed. Thailand extended the deadline for 2022 annual report on hazardous chemicals in industrial plants. India issued the draft EPR regulations for used oil to seek public comments.
Jun 01, 2023
Enterprises that manufacture, import, and operate the 35 target hazardous chemicals are subject to this special inspection, as well as enterprises that have obtained Hazchem Use Permits of them.
May 26, 2023
The reform of the inspection mode has reduced both the storage quantity and duration of hazardous chemicals in ports, effectively mitigating the accumulative risk at ports and improving customs clearance and port operation efficiency.
May 25, 2023
By GACC Announcement No. 29 of 2023, the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) announced to roll out a new inspection mode - ‘Document Review + Port Inspection or Destination Inspection’ for each batch of imported hazardous chemicals nationwide from April 13, 2023.
Apr 10, 2023
In March of 2023, China issued draft amendments to ‘GB 6944 Classification and code of dangerous goods’ and ‘GB 12268 List of dangerous goods’ for public consultation. South Korea published a notice to urge enterprises handling Group B biocidal active substances to speed up dossier preparation and submission for approval under K-BPR. Two batches of 1,469 hazardous substances are proposed to mandate SDS and labelling requirements under Japan ISHL. Thailand imposed a destruction order on PFOA, its salts and PFOA-related compounds. Australia restricted the introduction or use of two POPs.
Mar 31, 2023
At the seminar held on 23 March 2023 in Shanghai, Mr. Chen Jun, an official from the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM), shared the latest information on China’s hazardous chemical (Hazchem) management, focusing on the Hazchem registration system and Hazchem QR code application.
Mar 30, 2023
On November 25, 2022, Shanghai Customs issued a notice to announce the pilot reform of the inspection mode of imported hazardous chemicals.
Mar 15, 2023
On March 1, 2023, draft revisions to two national mandatory standards - GB 6944 and GB 12268 were issued for public consultation until May 8, 2023. They help standardize the system for dangerous goods transportation, storage, distribution, and other related activities in China. Once adopted, the revised standards are expected to take effect 12 months after publication and replace their 2012 versions.
Mar 13, 2023
On December 29, 2022, China officially released GB 15603-2022 General Rules for the Hazardous Chemicals Warehouse Storage to replace GB 15603-1995 Rules for Storage of Chemicals Dangers. It will come into force on July 1, 2023.
Feb 01, 2023
From February 1, 2023, the new inspection mode for imported hazardous chemicals will be carried out by all the customs (codes of involved customs districts: 2201 ~ 2249) under the jurisdiction of Shanghai Customs.
Jan 31, 2023
On December 20, 2022, the Civil Aviation Administration of China issued Measures for the Administration of Temporary Storage of Dangerous Goods by Air Transport (AC-276-TR-2022-01R1) to revise the existing Measures for the Administration of Storage of Dangerous Goods by Air Transport (AC-276-TR-2018-01). It is set to take effect on March 1, 2023 and replace the old version.
Jan 10, 2023
On December 20, 2022, the Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) issued a notice on the safety management requirements for diesel oil.
Dec 30, 2022
On October 30, 2022, the Yellow River Protection Law was adopted, which is the second piece of legislation on a key river basin in China after the enactment of the Yangtze River Protection Law. It will take effect on April 1, 2023.
Nov 25, 2022
On September 26, 2022, China’s Ministry of Transport (MoT) made public the 2022 Provisions on the Supervision and Administration of Railway Transportation Safety of Dangerous Goods, which will come into force on December 1 of 2022 to replace its 2015 version.
Oct 24, 2022
ChemLinked summarized the current situation of Hazchem QR code application across the Chinese mainland.
Sep 30, 2022
On September 22, 2022, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced the plan to revise the national mandatory standard GB 15258-2009 General Rules for Preparation of Precautionary Label for Chemicals in the next 16 months.
Sep 26, 2022
To better facilitate the risk prevention and control of dangerous goods, Shanghai Customs is proceeding to build a collaborative supervision mechanism by means of big data.
Sep 14, 2022
The authority hopes the expanded pilots will pave the way for universal implementation of the Hazchem QR code management in the near future.
Sep 02, 2022
The authority hopes the expanded pilots will pave the way for universal implementation of the Hazchem QR code management in the near future.
Sep 02, 2022
On August 31, 2022, the Department of Emergency Management of Shandong, China issued the official document to outline the measures and targets for the Hazchem QR code application in Shandong province. It is noted in the document that hazardous chemicals manufactured or imported in Shandong must be attached with the Hazchem QR code.
Aug 31, 2022
On August 8, 2022, Shanghai Municipal Transport Commission, jointly with the Shanghai Emergency Management Bureau and Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau, unveiled the Notification on Further Strengthening Management for Road Transport and Storage of Dangerous Goods (Hazardous Chemicals) in Shanghai, which has come into force from August 15, 2022.
Aug 17, 2022
Building on the success of the pilot program introduced in Guangdong last year, Suzhou began piloting the use of QR code as per the newly published document - Notification on Promoting “One enterprise, one chemical product, and one QR code” Management for Hazardous Chemical Enterprises.
Aug 10, 2022
On June 24, 2022, the Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) issued the Notification on Further Strengthening the Safety Management for Hazardous Chemicals Containers. The Notification stipulates that from July 1, 2022 the shipping companies and agents involving certain hazardous chemicals shall declare their dangerous goods via email within 24 hours prior to arriving at Shanghai port.
Jul 05, 2022
On June 8, 2022, the Ministry of Transport of the People’s Republic of China (MoT) issued a notice to strengthen the safety operation of dangerous goods at ports in summer.
Jun 15, 2022
China will revise the applicable scope of the Measures for the Administration of Hazchem Operation Permit to exempt household chemical products and medical devices that contain hazardous chemicals.
Jun 08, 2022
On May 25, 2022, the Transport Division, Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) issued a notice to solicit public comments on the draft Administrative Measures for the Temporary Storage of Dangerous Goods Transported by Air. Comments are welcome before June 17, 2022.
May 30, 2022
The SN/T 0370-2021 serial standards for inspection of export packaging of dangerous goods will come into force on June 1, 2022, replacing the SN/T 0370-2009 serial standards that have been in effect since 2010.
May 30, 2022
A collection of FAQs on “Green Channel - Pre-review and Publicity Service” for shipping DG cargoes via Shanghai Waigaoqiao Port for your reference.
May 19, 2022
On May 07, 2022, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) published a draft standard for limits of harmful substances in furniture, which will replace the GB 18584-2001 Limit of Harmful Substances of Wood Based Furniture and GB 28481-2012 Limit of Harmful Substances of Plastic Furniture. In addition, three standards under draft, including No. 20073020-Q-607 Limit of Harmful Substances of Wood Based Furniture, No. 20080836-Q-607 Limit of Hazardous Substances of Mattresses and No. 20080837-Q-607 Limit of Hazardous Substances of Sofas will be incorporated in this new standard and will not be formulated as separate national standards anymore. Public consultation will end on June 06, 2022.
May 19, 2022
On May 07, 2022, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) published a notice on the draft amendments of GB 31241-2014, which was renamed as Lithium Ion Cells and Batteries Used in Portable Electronic Equipments―Safety Technical Specification. Public consultation will end on June 06, 2022.
May 18, 2022
On May 13, 2022, China’s Ministry of Transport (MOT) issued a notice seeking public comments on the draft amendments of the Regulations on the Management of International Road Transport. The consultation will end on June 13, 2022.
May 17, 2022
On May 11, 2022, the Ministry of Transport of the People’s Republic of China (MoT) issued the draft amendments to the Provisions on the Safety Supervision and Administration of Transport of Dangerous Goods by Vessels to solicit public comments. The consultation will end on June 11, 2022.
May 17, 2022
China’s new Hazardous Chemical Registration Comprehensive Service System was launched on February 16, 2022, which supports the automatic generation of QR code for registered hazardous chemicals. China is planning to expand the Guangdong pilot project to an even larger-scale programme in the later half year, to involve more cities.
May 16, 2022
On May 11, 2022, the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) issued a Notice to provide further clarification on the 100% ingredients disclosure issues on dangerous goods (DG) that shipped via the Waigaoqiao Area of Shanghai Port.
May 12, 2022
On April 29, 2022, the Pudong Maritime Safety Administration (MSA), which is the subordinate unit of the Shanghai MSA, held a virtual forum to review the management of dangerous good shipping in Waigaoqiao Port according to the Yangtze River Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China throughout 2021.
May 10, 2022
On March 15, 2022, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and Standardization Administration (SAC) published the amendments of the GB 30871-2014 Safety Code of Special work in Chemical Manufactory, which is renamed as Safety Specifications of Special Work in Hazardous Chemicals Enterprises (GB 30871-2022). It will come into force on October 1, 2022.
Apr 19, 2022
On March 16, 2022, the State Administration for Market Regulation of China released the 2022 Action Plan for Key Industrial Products Quality and Safety Inspection, which marked the beginning of a special inspection campaign on the quality and safety of 10 key industrial products in 2022.
Apr 15, 2022
On March 21, 2022, the Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) issued the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for Safe Production of Hazardous Chemicals, with the focus on accurately controlling the safety risks of hazardous chemicals in eight key industries, including chemical industry, pharmaceutical industry, oil and gas industry, firework industry, etc.
Mar 24, 2022
On January 5, 2022, the Work Safety Committee of the State Council issued the National Plan for Centralized Management of Safety Risks of Hazardous Chemicals. The plan proposes to enhance the digital and intelligent management of hazardous chemicals.
Feb 18, 2022
As per the Notice, there are two major factors in the determination that whether the mixtures are can be imported, exported, transited or transferred through the Waigaoqiao Port Area: 1) Full (100%) ingredients disclosure on SDS or not; 2) Three indicators-'Acute Toxicity, Cat. 1', 'Acute Aquatic Toxicity, Cat. 1' and 'Chronic Aquatic Toxicity, Cat. 1'.
Feb 14, 2022
On February 8, 2022, the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration of the People’s Republic of China issued a notice to clarify the full ingredients disclosure issues on dangerous goods that shipped through the Waigaoqiao Area of Shanghai Port.
Feb 09, 2022
The year 2021 has witnessed many significant events and progress in the chemical industry in the Asia-Pacific region.
Jan 21, 2022
On November 29, Shanghai Emergency Management Bureau published the Guidelines for the Use Safety Management of Hazardous Chemicals in Industrial and Trade Enterprises in Shanghai (Trial) (hereafter referred to as the Guideline). The Guidelines will come into force on January 1, 2022, and will be valid for two years.
Dec 22, 2021
Transfer of hazardous waste in China has been managed according to the Measures for the Management of Hazardous Waste Transfer Manifests since 1999. To meet the new requirements set in the revised Law on Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Waste (2020) that the transfer of hazardous waste shall be managed throughout the whole process in a more efficient manner, it was revised and renamed as the Measures on the Management of Transfer of Hazardous Waste (hereinafter referred to as Measures). The consultation version of it was published on October 21, 2020 for public comments. The new Measures was published on November 30, 2021, and will take effect on January 1, 2022.
Dec 15, 2021
On September 26, 2021, the MEE issued a notice to consult on listing six types of solid wastes into the Hazardous Waste Exclusion Management List. The deadline for comments is October 12, 2021.
Dec 14, 2021
On November 25 and 26, 2021, the Chemical Safety Civil Partnership Network (CSN) and REACH24H co-hosted an online forum on chemical management, in which experts were invited to analyze the legislation of the Law on Safety of Hazardous Chemicals, as well as what can be done by NGOs and enterprises to promote its enforcement.
Dec 03, 2021
The Guangdong province has piloted the new Hazchem registration online platform from July of 2021, which incorporates a QR code system to support immediate access to hazardous chemical information.
Nov 11, 2021
On September 14, 2021, the MoT released the second draft revision of GB 13392-2005 Vehicle Mark for Road Transportation Dangerous Goods for public comments. The deadline for submitting comments is September 30, 2021.
Sep 30, 2021
A new standard, the Safety Requirements for Footwear, has been drafted based on EU REACH provisions and will replace GB 25038-2010, GB 25037-2010, GB 21536-2008 in the near future.
Sep 22, 2021
On August 23, 2021, Shanghai Emergency Management Bureau issued a notice to seek public feedback on the draft Guidelines for the Use Safety Management of Hazardous Chemicals in Industrial and Trade Enterprises in Shanghai (Trial) (hereafter referred to as the Guidelines). The consultation will end on October 10, 2021.
Sep 02, 2021
Shenzhen customs published fifteen frequently asked questions regarding the inspection on imported and exported hazardous chemicals and their packaging.
Aug 05, 2021
The Guangdong province has led the country in implementing the new Hazchem registration online system from July 12, 2021. The scope of substances subject to hazardous chemical registration and the application process remain the same, while the new version of system requires more data, e.g., more detailed information of enterprises and personnel, to facilitate the big data analytics nationalwide.
Jul 26, 2021
On July 7, 2021, the China MEE issued a notice to consult on the National Hazardous Waste Standardized Environmental Management Assessment Work Program for the 14th Five-Year Plan (Draft for Public Comments). The consultation will end on July 19.
Jul 16, 2021
On June 29, 2021, the MoT issued a Notice for medical MRI machines and limited bottled Freon-type refrigerant gases to be transported as general cargo.
Jul 06, 2021
Emergency response plans of enterprises must be revised in time according to GB/T 29639-2020.
May 17, 2021
On April 30, 2021, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Standardization Administration approved and published a series of recommended standards for transportation of dangerous goods, namely the Emergency Response Guideline for Transportation of Dangerous Goods.
May 12, 2021
On March 30, 2021, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CACC) published the 2021 List of Air Transport Dangerous Goods to replace its 2019 version.
Apr 22, 2021
On April 9, 2021, the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation (CPCIF) held a symposium on the draft revisions to the Classification and Code of Dangerous Goods (GB 6944-2012) and the List of Dangerous Goods (GB 12268-2012).
Apr 16, 2021
Recently, China’s Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) issued the Pilot Construction Plan for "Industrial Internet + Work Safety of Hazardous Chemicals" (hereafter referred to as the “Plan”). The Plan provided practical guidance for implementing the Act Plan for "Industrial Internet + Work Safety (2021-2023)" in petroleum and chemical industries, aiming at deepening the integration of new-generation information technology such as the Industrial internet, big data, and artificial intelligence (AI) with chemical safety management.
Apr 16, 2021
On April 1, 2021, the Chinese Ministry of Transport (MOT) published a notice [1] seeking public comments on a revision to the Provisions on the Administration of the Road Transport of Dangerous Goods.
Apr 02, 2021
On March 3, 2021, the Chinese Ministry of Transport (MOT) published its annual legislative plan for 2021.
Mar 11, 2021
Hazardous chemicals enterprises need to appoint three safety responsible persons for each major hazard source in accordance with the Measures and disclose relevant information to the administration.
Feb 26, 2021
The Yangtze River Protection Law was previously adopted by China’s top law-making body in late 2020 and will take effect starting from March 1, 2021.
Feb 26, 2021
In late 2020, the Guidelines for Road Transport of Dangerous Goods Packed in Excepted Quantities and Limited Quantities was published to facilitate the implementation of the Measures.
Jan 27, 2021
Identification of hazardous waste is crucial to the follow-up management, utilization, disposal and treatment. The identification shall be conducted referring to the Identification Standards for Hazardous Waste (GB 5085.1~7) as well as the Technical Specifications on Identification for Hazardous Waste (HJ 298-2019).
Jan 15, 2021
On November 19th, 2020, the Standardization Administration of China (SAC) published the Guidelines for the Use and Control of Key Chemical Substances in Consumer Products (GB/T 39498-2020), with its effective date on June 1st, 2021.
Jan 14, 2021
Recently, the China Ministry of Transport (MOT) announced that the Guidelines for Road Transport of Dangerous Goods Packed in Excepted Quantities and Limited Quantities was published to facilitate the implementation of the Measures for Safety Administration of Road Transport of Dangerous Goods.
Dec 31, 2020
The new version of the permits and certificates will be enabled on January 31st, 21, as the QR code function will be applied to them.
Dec 25, 2020
On December 1st, 2020, Mr. Wu Jinzhong from the Highway Research Institute under the Ministry of Transport (MOT) introduced the highlights of the Measures for Safety Administration of Road Transport of Dangerous Goods at CRAC-HCF 2020.
Dec 03, 2020
The resource utilization of solid waste will become the next focus of China's solid waste management, and relevant standards will be formulated and issued by the competent authorities.
Nov 30, 2020
On November 27th, 2020, the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) and four other departments jointly published the National Inventory of Hazardous Waste (2021 version).
Nov 27, 2020
18 kinds/classes of chemicals are included in the Inventory of Priority Controlled Chemicals (Second Batch). For each chemical, special management measures will be taken based on specific conditions.
Nov 05, 2020
On November 2nd, 2020, the Chinese Ministry of Transport (MOT) issued a notice to solicit comments on the draft revision of the Regulations on Road Transport.
Nov 04, 2020
On October 21st, 2020, the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) published a notice, announcing to consult on the draft revision to the Measures on Environmental Management of Transfer of Hazardous Wastes.
Oct 29, 2020
On September 17th, 2020, the Chinese Ministry of Transport issued a notice on its website, announcing to solicit public comments on the draft revision to the Provisions on Safety Administration of Railway Transport of Dangerous Goods.
Sep 18, 2020
The plan will conduct random sampling inspections of 131 types of products in 8 categories to ensure that they meet the requirements in corresponding national standards. 3 types of packaging materials for hazardous chemicals are included in the 131 types of products, namely the steel drums, steel pails, and tinplate aerosol can.
Aug 20, 2020
On July 23, the Standardization Administration of China (SAC) issued the National Standards Notice No.18 of 2020 to release 13 mandatory national standards and 2 amendments, including GB 21027-2020 Request in Common Use of Security for Student's Articles, which is updated from GB 21027-2007. Requirements, test methods, and marks of student articles are stipulated in GB 21027-2020. The new standard will enter into effect and replace the old one on February 1, 2022.
Aug 11, 2020
July of 2020 has witnessed many chemical regulatory changes in the Asia-Pacfic region. To recap the most important news during the last month, we've put together the most important chemical regulatory news in the region.
Aug 11, 2020
In the wake of the blast in Xiangshui County that killed at least dozens of people, the Chinese government at both central and local levels have redoubled efforts to prevent systematic safety risks and ensure production safety in the hazardous chemical industry.
Jul 09, 2020
On June 15, 2020, the Chinese Ministry of Transport (MOT) published the draft revision to the Regulations on Administration of Transport of Dangerous Goods by Civil Aviation.
Jun 17, 2020
On June 4, 2020, the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) published a draft revision to the Administrative Measures for Hazardous Waste Operation Licenses for a public consultation.
Jun 11, 2020
On May 30, 2020, the Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM), Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and Ministry of Transport (MOT) jointly published the Catalogue of Hazardous Chemicals Subject to Special Regulation (1st edition).
Jun 08, 2020
On May 26, 2020, the General Office of the Chinese State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announced that action would be taken nationwide to examine product safety and quality of hazardous chemicals, packaging materials of hazardous chemicals and vehicle-carrying tanks which are used to contain hazardous chemicals.
Jun 02, 2020
China has proposed to add 19 kinds of chemicals to the draft inventory of chemicals subject to priority control measures. The management measures for the environmental risks of priority controlled chemicals are adjusted.
May 12, 2020
The revised Law detailed the requirements for treatment on industrial solid waste and hazardous waste. Management on medical solid waste, sorting system for municipal solid waste, and reducing excessive packaging are also stipulated in the revision. The revision is scheduled to enter into effect on September 1, 2020.
May 06, 2020
This standard specifies the basic requirement, safety management, warehouse operations, warehouse management, labor protection, and accident emergency handling, etc. for the storage of hazardous chemicals.
Apr 01, 2020
This Part specifies the terms and definitions related to the classification and labelling of chemicals, as well as general rules for the classification, labelling and safety data sheets of chemical hazards.
Mar 05, 2020
Recently, the General Offices of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council jointly published the Opinions on Comprehensively Enhancing Safe Production of Hazardous Chemicals. The Opinions lays out a total of 16 measures, which are circulated to local governments and competent authorities to put in place.
Mar 02, 2020
Takehome:
China MEM is soliciting comments on the second draft of the Law on Safety of Hazardous Chemicals from emergency management administrations at various levels.
The draft Law defines the responsibilities of different regulatory authorities in the administration of hazardous chemicals, and provides systematic rules on the manufacture, storage, use, operations, transport, etc. of hazardous chemicals.
Jan 17, 2020
Tankers are subject to stict inspections before being approved for use on the road. Tankers designated for transport of specific categories of dangerous goods are also subject to additional screening depending on the category of dangerous goods.
Jan 15, 2020
Takehome:
A new draft revision of the Inventory of Hazardous Wastes was published for public comments.
More exemptions were drafted.
Three months after China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) released the last draft revision of the Inventory of Hazardous Wastes, an updated revision was drafted for public comments on December 30, 2019. This consultation will end on February 3, 2020.
Jan 13, 2020
In the previous articles, we have discussed the responsibilities and obligations of consignors and carriers, the two significant roles in the road transport of dangerous goods. However, besides the two roles mentioned above, another role is emphasized in the Measures for Safety Administration of Road Transport of Dangerous Goods [1], namely, the loaders.
Jan 07, 2020
On December 30, 2019, the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), along with the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and the General Administration of Customs (GACC), jointly published the Inventory of Severely Restricted Toxic Chemicals (2020) [1].
Jan 06, 2020
Consignors play a crucial role in ensuring safe road transport of dangerous goods. They refer to businesses or any other units which entrust a transport company to transport goods. Thus they are usually owners of goods, including businesses engaging in the manufacture, operations, or even transport of goods. It should be noted that a transport company is not necessarily a carrier: if it subcontracts goods to subcontractors, it will become a consignor.
Jan 06, 2020
The carrier is the enterprise performing the actual carriage of dangerous goods by vehicle. The new Measures for Safety Administration of Road Transport of Dangerous Goods and the revised Provisions on the Administration of the Road Transport of Dangerous Goods have detailed the responsibilities of carriers in the road transport of dangerous goods. ChemLinked has teased out significant highlights in the Measures and the Provisions, as shown below.
Jan 06, 2020
According to Article 10 of the Measures for the Safety Administration of Road Transport of Dangerous Goods, the consignor shall make sure the class and division, product name and identification number of the dangerous goods per the Regulations concerning Road Transportation of Dangerous Goods (JT/T 617) and abide by relevant special provisions.
Jan 06, 2020
On December 26th, 2019, China’s Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) issued a Notice [1] to publish the Guideline for Hazchem Enterprises on Emergency Preparations for Production Safety Accidents.
Jan 06, 2020
The transport of dangerous goods with low hazards and in small quantities, such as aerosols and disinfectants, has always been a topic of heated discussion in the industry. If such goods can be transported using reliable and durable packages or following certain conditions, they will pose much fewer dangers.
Jan 06, 2020
On December 24, 2019, the Chinese Ministry of Transport (MOT) published a notice [1], announcing revisions to 13 ministerial orders and documents. One of them is the Provisions on the Administration of the Road Transport of Dangerous Goods [2], which was initially issued in 2013 and revised once in 2016.
Dec 31, 2019
In the Measures for Safety Administration of Road Transport of Dangerous Goods (ChemLinked Translation), the authorities state that dangerous goods packed in excepted quantities (EQ) in line with relevant requirements (the number of packages on a transport vehicle ≤ 1,000) “can be transported as general goods." The new rule is certainly encouraging for businesses in the dangerous goods industry. Below are several frequently asked questions concerning EQ stipulated in the Measures as well as the Regulations Concerning Road Transportation of Dangerous Goods (JT/T617; ChemLinked Translation).
Dec 30, 2019
On November 25, 2019, the Chinese Ministry of Transport (MOT), Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), Ministry of Public Security (MPS), Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) and State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) jointly released the long-awaited official version of the Measures for Safety Administration of Road Transport of Dangerous Goods [1].
Nov 26, 2019
On November 12 and 13, 2019, the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) issued the General Rules for Identification Standards for Hazardous Waste (GB5085.7-2019 [1]) and the Technical Specifications on Identification for Hazardous Waste (HJ 298-2019 [2]) to replace the 2007 version of the two documents.
Nov 20, 2019
On November 10, 2019, the People’s Government of Dafeng District, Yancheng City published three notices, announcing that three chemical companies in its jurisdiction (including Jiangsu Huifeng Bio Agriculture Co., Ltd. [1], Jiangsu Haixing Chemical Co., Ltd. [2] and Jiangsu Haili Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. [3]) are applying for municipal-level review of their production resumption.
Nov 18, 2019
On 30th October, China Civil Aviation Dangerous Goods Inspection and Testing Joint Working Group (DGWG) issued a notice offering suggestions to relevant enterprises on providing UN38.3 Test Summary for lithium batteries.
Nov 15, 2019
Previously on February 25 this year, the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) and the Standardization Administration of China (SAC) jointly issued the Basic Requirements for Safety Technologies of Enterprises Handling Hazardous Chemicals Business (GB18265-2019).
Nov 05, 2019
On October 16, 2019, the Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM), along with several other authorities, issued the Catalogue of Hazardous Chemicals Subject to Special Regulation (1st edition) [1] to solicit public comments. The public consultation is set to end on November 18 this year.
Oct 22, 2019
During the 18th China International Chemical Industry Fair (ICIF) held in Shanghai this week, Mr. Peng Jianhua from the Ministry of Transport reviewed the Regulations Concerning Road Transportation of Dangerous Goods (JT/T 617 series).
Sep 20, 2019
China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) published the draft revision of the National Inventory of Hazardous Waste for public comments on Sept 5, 2019. This consultation will end on Oct 10, 2019.
Sep 12, 2019
During the Chemical Regulatory Annual Conference 2019 held by REACH24H in Xi’an, Mr. Lu Nianming, Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the China Chemical Safety Association, reviewed the status quo of chemical industry safety in China.
Sep 06, 2019
Mr. Wu noted that the implementation of this exemption system must be bolstered by supporting documents, and its application scope will be gradually expanded. But given the grim situations regarding road transport safety of dangerous goods, the authorities have decided to ease the restrictions at a slow pace, so as to avoid hasty implementation of relevant arrangements.
Sep 06, 2019
In the new version, besides the update of OELs and substance information, the description method of short-time exposure limit for hazardous agents without PC-STEL is changed. The content of adverse health effects, ratio of occupational exposure level to OELs, biological exposure limits and the grading of exposure level and corresponding measures, etc. are added as well.
Sep 04, 2019
On July 24th, 2019, the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) issued a public consultation on two guidelines on security risk management of chemical parks and hazardous chemical enterprises (CL News [1]).
Aug 23, 2019
In late June 2019, the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) issued a notice, making official commitments to better-regulated and more stringent inspections on imported and exported dangerous goods and their packaging. This move aims to reinforce previous institutional efforts and enable safer cross-border commerce of dangerous goods.
Aug 05, 2019
On 26th July, China Ministry of Transport (MOT) issued a notice seeking feedback on the new draft of Regulations on the Management of Domestic Waterway Transport, the consultation will end on 28th August.
Aug 05, 2019
On 24th July, Zhejiang Provincial Public Security Department, Communications Department and Emergency Management Department jointly released a notice stating that vehicles loaded with hazardous chemicals are prohibited from driving on highways within the province from 0 a.m. to 6 a.m. The measures have been implemented since 1st August.
Aug 05, 2019
On July 24, 2019, the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) sent a notice to all the provincial governments and relevant central enterprises for comments on the Guideline on Security Risk Investigation and Management of Chemical Parks and Guideline on Security Risk Investigation and Management of Hazardous Chemical Enterprises drafted by the MEM.
Jul 29, 2019
The Catalogue comprises four parts. In the first part, “General Provisions”, it specifies rules concerning regulatory responsibilities, businesses’ responsibilities, risk information disclosure, use and transport of hazardous chemicals, etc.
Jul 29, 2019
On 6th July, China Ministry of Public Security (MPS) released Decree 154 of 2019, the publication of the official version of the Measures for Public Security Administration of Explosive Precursor Hazardous Chemicals. These Measures will take effect on 10th August. In January 2019, MPS released the draft of the measures and sought feedback from the public.From a content point of view, the official version and the draft are not much different.
Jul 24, 2019
On July 5, 2019, the Chinese Ministry of Transport (MOT) released a notice to seek feedback on the Program for Management of Atmospheric Tank Vehicles for Transporting Liquid Dangerous Goods.[1] The public consultation is set to end on July 20.
Jul 12, 2019
In late May 2019, the Ministry of Transport (MOT), Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), and the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) jointly issued the List of Hazardous Chemicals Prohibited from Inland Waterway Transport (2019). [1] The newly revised list took effect immediately upon its release, and the 2015 version was abrogated at the same time.
Jul 02, 2019
On 13th June, 2019, The State Council Information Office, P.R.C. held a press conference and answered the questions on current safe production in chemical parks and within the larger hazardous chemical industry.
Jun 17, 2019
Starting from May 21, 2019, Shandong’s provincial government sent eight inspection groups to conduct a 10-day law compliance inspection of hazardous chemical enterprises in eight cities, including Jinan, Zibo, Dongying, Weifang, Linyi, Liaocheng, Binzhou, and Heze.
May 30, 2019
On April 2, 2019, the Department of Emergency Management of Shandong Province released the Catalogue of Prohibited Hazardous Chemicals of Shandong Province (Tranche 1) [1], specifying that 44 categories of hazardous chemicals will be prohibited within its jurisdiction. The Catalogue will be effective until April 1, 2022.
May 16, 2019
On April 1, the Zhangjiagang Win Hanverky Container Terminal Co., Ltd. released a notice that, upon the request of the Zhangjiagang Environmental Protection Agency, the company will pause the loading and unloading of hazardous chemicals (except 19 items specified therein) starting from April 1.
Apr 11, 2019
On Apr 4th, 2019, China’s Standardization Administration (SAC) announced on its website that 44 compulsory national standards (GB standard) were to be revised or formulated in one or two years. As scheduled, a new GB standard concerning the classification and labeling of desensitized explosives will be formulated by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) in 12 months.
Apr 10, 2019
On Mar 14th, the National Registration Center for Chemicals (NRCC) of the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) issued a notice soliciting suggestions to revise the Guidance for the Implementation of China 2015 Inventory of Hazardous Chemicals.
Mar 19, 2019
China MEM released its 2019 scheme on chemical supervision and control.
Six key missions are developed with aims to reduce the number of major accidents, improve the control and regulation of major risks, and enhance the safety management of hazardous chemicals.
Mar 15, 2019
The road transport of dangerous goods has been a major focus of Chinese policymakers ever since the implementation of China ADR, JT/T617 series in Dec, 2018. The government subsequently published a notice and draft measures to support the implementation of the regulation.
Mar 11, 2019
MOT emphasizes reform of management on dangerous goods road transportation with a focus on tank and tanker inspections
A new standard Safety technical conditions for dangerous goods road transport vehicles will be issued.
Mar 05, 2019
China 2019 work schedule for hazardous chemical administration will focus on oil-gas pipeline & fireworks safety and non-pharmaceutical precursor chemicals supervision and control
China is to accelerate the development and implementation of the Hazardous Chemical Safety Law
Feb 20, 2019
On February 15, 2019, the Chinese Ministry of Transport (MOT) published the third draft of Measures for the Safety Administration of Road Transport of Dangerous Goods for public consultation.
Feb 19, 2019
On Jan 25, China MEE opened public consultation on the draft list of toxic and hazardous water pollutants (First Batch) (有毒有害水污染物名录（第一批）). The public consultation period will end on Feb 16, 2019.
Feb 14, 2019
On November 19, 2018, Chinese State Administration for Market Regulation and Standardization Administration announced the release of the revised Identification of Major Hazard Installations for Hazardous Chemicals (GB 18218-2018). It will come into mandatory effect on March 1, 2019.
Jan 31, 2019
The catalog consists of 3 annexes within total 845 chemicals/group chemicals involved
56 hazardous chemicals are banned from circulation in Shenzhen
789 hazardous chemicals/group chemicals are allowed to be used, transported and stored outside the central area, among which 159 hazardous chemicals/group chemicals are permitted in the central area.
Jan 29, 2019
China MOT issued 11 transport industry standards, made revisions to JT/T 999-2015, and repealed 4 other industry standards at the same time.
Jan 22, 2019
Within the new Chemical Environmental Risk Assessment and Control draft regulation are stipulations on requirements to submit an annual report on activities involving both existing and new chemical substances
China will compile inventories on priority controlled, severely restricted and banned chemical substances
A recordation system is to take place of current simplified notification system in new chemical substance management
Jan 17, 2019
Chinese authorities unearthed a major environmental scandal involving the illegal use of thousands of tons of toxic waste materials in a land reclamation project in Taixing City, Jiangsu.
Jan 01, 2019
Dangerous goods packed in limited quantity and excepted quantity refer to dangerous goods exempted from certain transport requirements as attained by decreasing/ eliminating the transport risks through a reduction in transported quantity/volume, and adherence to special packaging and marking stipulations.
Dec 19, 2018
1. To ascertain RTDG compliance obligation exemption eligibility first determine the transport category and maximum carriage amount according to UN number and packing group to determine whether dangerous goods meet the exemption conditions of small quantity transportation
2. For mixed load of dangerous goods, maximum carriage amount is 500 (KG/L), calculated by multiplying different coefficients corresponding to different transport categories
3. Dangerous goods which meet the special exemption provisions in Appendix A, column 6 in JT/T617.3-2018 shall be exempted according to relevant items and requirements in Appendix B of JT/T617.3-2018.
4. Regulatory compliance obligations related to dangerous goods transported in limited quantity and excepted quantity will be analyzed and interpreted in a following article.
Dec 05, 2018
1.To ascertain RTDG compliance obligation exemption eligibility first determine the transport category and maximum carriage amount according to UN number and packing group to determine whether dangerous goods meet the exemption conditions of small quantity transportation
2.For mixed load of dangerous goods, maximum carriage amount is 500 (KG/L), calculated by multiplying different coefficients corresponding to different transport categories
3.Dangerous goods which meet the special exemption provisions in Appendix A, column 6 in JT/T617.3-2018 shall be exempted according to relevant items and requirements in Appendix B of JT/T617.3-2018.
4.Regulatory compliance obligations related to dangerous goods transported in limited quantity and excepted quantity will be analyzed and interpreted in a following article.
Dec 05, 2018
Sep 19, 2018
Jul 26, 2018
Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management requires local administrations to assess and grade hazardous chemical enterprises. Enterprise with high-risk levels would be subject to stricter supervision.
May 17, 2018
China has one of the world’s largest hazardous chemical manufacturing bases. The management of hazardous chemicals has always been a vital task for the Chinese government and involves a lot of governmental branches. Enterprises are required to register and apply for permits for the hazardous chemicals they deal with during manufacture and import. However, when it comes to transport, another concept of “dangerous goods” is brought in. The idea of “dangerous goods” is not exactly the same as “hazardous chemicals” and enterprises face different requirements from manufacture and import when transporting their chemicals. This article will try to examine the concept of “dangerous goods” and “hazardous chemicals” in China’s legal framework and summarize the differences between them.
Feb 05, 2018
Feb 05, 2018
Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau (Shanghai CIQ) announced that a strict spot check of hazardous chemicals is coming on Oct 1st.
Sep 30, 2017
Jul 26, 2017
Jan 12, 2017
China released new draft of waterway transportatoin management.
Oct 26, 2016
Mar 25, 2016
The issuance of China Inventory of Hazardous Chemicals (2015) and the Guidance for the Implementation of China Inventory of Hazardous Chemicals (Trial) have meant that the definition of hazardous chemicals has been made clear from a regulatory perspective.
Sep 18, 2015
In this article, senior REACH24H regulatory expert Eric Sun provides in-depth interpretation of the annexed Classification Information Sheet of Hazardous Chemicals of the Implementation Guidance, namely the official classification results of the listed chemicals.
Sep 11, 2015
In this article, senior REACH24H regulatory expert Eric Sun provides in-depth interpretation of the main body of the Guidance for the Implementation of China 2015 Inventory of Hazardous Chemicals (Trial), namely the specification of the implementation rules within SAWS’s jurisdiction.
Sep 11, 2015
1. Many of the chemicals used as flavors and fragrances fall into the scope of hazardous chemicals in China, especially plant essential oils and distillates.
2. This article shares the hands-on experience of REACH24H experts on hazard classification and hazchem registration of these chemicals.
Apr 20, 2015
The Inventory of Hazardous Chemicals (hereinafter referred as the “Inventory”) serves as an essential support document to facilitate implementation of the Regulations on the Control over Safety of Hazardous Chemicals.
Apr 03, 2015
Measures for the Environmental Management Registration of Hazardous Chemicals (Trial) (a.k.a. MEP Order 22) came into force from Mar 1st, 2013, with the goal of improving China’s environmental management of hazardous chemicals.
Jul 25, 2014
It has been more than one year since MEP started to implement the Measures for the Registration of Hazardous Chemicals for Environmental Management (trial) (MEP order 22). Only recently in April, 2014 did the Ministry officially issue the List of Hazardous Chemicals of Priority Environmental Concern, which includes 84 chemical substances.
Apr 30, 2014
Oct 17, 2013
Aug 05, 2013
The draft inventory of Hazardous Chemicals of Priority Environmental Concern (HCPEC) is set to be released in a series of batches. The first batch of the “Hazardous Chemicals of Priority Environmental Concern” contains 142 chemical substances.
Jun 13, 2013
As an senior regulatory analyst working in the field for many years, I would like to share my opinion about issues surrounding the revision of the Catalogue, based on my knowledge of governmental decision-making mechanism and all relevant information collected from various sources.
Apr 24, 2013
Pictogram means a graphical composition that may include a symbol plus other graphic elements, such as a border, background pattern or colour that is intended to convey specific information. There are two sets of hazard pictograms: one for the labelling of containers and for workplace hazard warnings (GHS pictograms), and another for use during the transport of dangerous goods (transport pictograms).
Apr 03, 2013
In order to ensure the safety transportation of dangerous goods, no person could transport dangerous goods unless they are properly marked, labeled or placarded, described and certified on a transport document according to the relevant transport regulation.
Mar 29, 2013
The freight volume of dangerous goods imported and exported has soared in recent years, bringing with it the numerous pitfalls and potential risk. It has however provided a key impetus for China's Government to update or reformulate related regulations and standards in line with international codes.
Mar 29, 2013
China Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) issued on 31 Nov 2012 the Administrative Measures for the Determination of Appraisal Institutions of Transport Conditions of Goods Carried by Vessels as the guidance for provincial MSAs to evaluate the appraisal institutions. Since 1 Jul 2013, only testing and evaluation reports issued by the appraisal institutions accredited in line with the Measures can be deemed as the legal basis for the maritime safety administrations at all levels during the enforcement.
Mar 14, 2013
The major revision of China's Measures on the Environment Management of New Chemical Substances came into force in October 2010, (hereinafter “Measures”) has significantly impacted manufacturers and importers of new chemicals in China as well as manufacturers outside China.
Jan 08, 2013
A number of inventories involved in the management of hazardous chemicals compiled by different authorities are combed with a “historical review” in this article. Meanwhile, the inventories/catalogues newly developed since the enactment of the “Regulations on the Control over Safety of Hazardous Chemicals” (State Council Decree No. 591) are introduced with respect to their drafting background, main content and application scope.
Dec 19, 2012
With the implementation of “Regulation on the Control over safety of Hazardous Chemicals (Decree 591)” on 1 December 2011, China has entered a new stage of management on hazardous chemicals. As stipulated in the Decree 591, the environmental Protection authority shall be responsible for the environmental management registration on HCs. Thus, the “MEP Order No 22: Measures for the Environmental Management of Hazardous Chemical Registration (Trial)" was drafted and approved by the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP). The legal text was published on 10 Oct 2012 and the measureｓ will take effect on 1 Mar 2012.
Dec 11, 2012
While the cosmetic finished products are not under the supervision of the MEP (the SFDA is in charge of cosmetics management), the manufacture and importation of cosmetic ingredients in China are under the control of the “Measures on the Environmental Management of New Chemical Substances” (dubbed as China REACH, MEP Order 7) in China, the same as industry chemicals.
Nov 23, 2012
In recent years, accidents caused by the transport of dangerous goods in China have increased in tandem with the rapid development of chemical industry. In order to minimize the chances of accidentsand reduce the damage to property, personal health and the environment, China developed special transport conditions for dangerous goods .
Nov 15, 2012
The question whether the short-term toxicity to earthworm test has to be conducted in China received ambiguous answers. Recently, officials from Chemical Registration Center of Ministry of Environmental Protection (CRC-MEP) clarified this question.
Nov 14, 2012
The harmful effects of chemicals can be broadly categorized as acute or chronic. This broad distinction also serves as a regulatory divide for management of chemicals from a work safety and environmental perspective. In China hazardous chemicals are primarily governed by two authorities, the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) and the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP). The former is in charge of preventing chemical accidents in the work place, which generally involving the “acute risks”, while the MEP focuses on health, emission, and other environmental concerns.
Nov 05, 2012
Since Measures on the Environmental Management of New Chemical Substances in China (hereinafter ‘China REACH’) was enacted in 2010 and is currently being enforced, the manufacturers and importers of new substances are obliged to submit notifications. Notification of new chemical substances can be classified into regular notification, simplified notification and scientific research record notification(SRRN).
Oct 17, 2012
This list of Frequently Asked Questions concerning China New Chemical Substance Notification includes 82 queries submitted by Chinese and non-Chinese notifiers to the Chemical Registration Center of Ministry of Environmental Protection in China (CRC-MEP) and REACH24H. Some of them are China REACH regulatory basics that should be known to potential company notifiers and others are specific cases collected based on their China REACH compliance practices.
Sep 12, 2012
China’s New Chemical Substance Notification allows the applicants to claim confidentiality for key substance information as registered uses, domestic downstream processor or user, registered substance identification information like the chemical name, CAS number, molecular formula and structural formula, production processes, exposure and use, etc. Besides, China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection (China MEP) do not charge anything for the confidentiality claiming.
Sep 04, 2012
In general, (M)SDS writing norms in these three countries or areas, EU, China and USA, are based on the United Nations' GHS standard. Both the EU and China maintain all 16 sections in a complete Safety Data Sheet consistent with the UN GHS, while the US SDS adopts only 12 sections, i.e. Section 12/13/14/15 are not mandatory as in the other two countries.
Sep 04, 2012
In the product stewardship of a hazardous chemical product, when asked “what is your principal regulatory duty”, most clients immediately think of a Safety Data Sheet or a chemical precautionary Label based on local standards. Yet not so many come to realize your hazard classification is actually the real pre-requisite that underlines all the other GHS compliance activities.
Aug 02, 2012
On 1 December 2011, the revised Regulation on the Control over Safety of Hazardous Chemicals, also called Decree 591, came into force. The key piece of legislation on management of hazardous chemicals, it regulates them through the entire supply chain, from manufacture and importation to distribution and storage, transportation and use.
Jul 14, 2012
Jun 18, 2012
In this article REACH24H's regulatory experts share valuable insights and experience gathered from years of practical experience in regulatory affairs. Case studies exhibiting commonly encountered compliance problems are explained and dependable advice on how to overcome many of the issues facing industry is provided. REACH24H has exstensive experience with China REACH, active communication channels with experts from Chemical Registration Center of MEP (CRC-MEP) and long-term collaboration with the accredited laboratories.
May 25, 2012
Background: An EU-based Client provides raw materials (less than 1 tonne per year) to importers in China. They have three substances not listed on the Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances in China (IECSC) 2010 and requested notification services from us. Since the manufacturing process of these substances involves only a physical process, the client believes the substances extracted from these naturally occurring substances should qualify for exemption rules.
Apr 25, 2012
Here we would like to share some case studies where REACH24H helped foreign companies comply with China REACH in an efficient manner.In practice, most notifications are conducted under the general case of simplified notification or regular notification which will be reflected in this article.
Mar 21, 2012
This article introduces several important inventories of hazardous or toxic chemicals currently regulated by the Chinese government.
Feb 24, 2012
This article provides practical advice on China Compliant GHS labelling.
Feb 15, 2012
One of the main obstacles to international trade of chemicals is internationally compliant SDS. In this article the specifics of writing China compliant SDS sheets is outlined.
Jan 10, 2012
The first law that regulated the safe management of dangerous chemicals in China came into being in 1987 when the so-called Regulations of Chemical Dangerous Goods Safety Management took effect on 2 February. After 15 years’ constant legal improvement, the State Economic and Trade Commission published on 2nd March 2002 a new regulation Decree No. 344 based on the 1987 law. However, due to the reform of governmental institutions and rapid development of hazardous chemical industry, Decree No. 344 began falling short of efficently regulating the hazardous chemicals industry.
Dec 04, 2011
Since a major revision of China's Measures on Environment Management of New Chemical Substances came into force last October, companies wishing to manufacture or import a new substance in China have been obliged to first notify new chemical substances - those not listed on the Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances in China (IECSC) - to the Chemical Registration Centre (CRC). Under the regime, regular notifications for substances must include a risk assessment report.
Oct 20, 2011
State Council of China introduced the revised Regulation on Safety Control of Dangerous Chemicals in 2-Mar-2011, which would formally enter into force in 1-Dec-20111, and under this newly reformed chemical regulation, which function as the umbrella law, different Ministries and Administration will be involved into implementation and various administrative provisions promulgated accordingly as well, and then the resulting regulatory challenges to chemical industry were concerned and highlighted recently. Within this article, the primary regulatory obligations and related challenges were reviewed.
Oct 01, 2011
The chemical regulatory framework in China has become increasingly influenced by global chemical regulations, in particular the European and US models. Since China became a member of the WTO in 2001, the government has been committed to revising China’s chemical regulations. The previous legislation concerning the management of new chemical substances in China was amended on October 15th 2010, through the enactment of the "Measures for the Environmental Management of New Chemical Substances" (the "Measures") by China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP). This regulation is similar to EU REACH and adopts several of the same principles and concepts of the European regulation, and thus has been dubbed "China REACH". However, China REACH is a general term for legislation covering hazardous, toxic and new chemical substances (Figure 1), while the Measures specifically regulate new chemical substances.
May 11, 2011
GHS, which stands for “Globally Harmonized System”, is a hazardous chemicals management system that addresses issues such as classification, Safety Data Sheet, Labeling and Packaging of hazardous chemicals. It was first proposed in the UN Sustainable Conference (WSSD) in Johannesburg, 2002, promising easier communication of hazards posed by chemicals and ultimately, protection of human health, environment and trade facilitation.
Apr 20, 2011
Companies which deal with import and/or export of toxic chemicals in the "List of toxic chemicals severely restricted for import or export from People Republic of China" may need to register with CRC and apply for the relevant certificate or custom clearance notification.
Mar 30, 2011
On March 11th 2011, the Chinese government officially published the revised regulation “Regulation on the Safe Management of Dangerous Chemicals” (Decree No. 591).
The regulation will enter into force on December 1st 2011 and replaces the previous version published in 2002 (Decree No. 344). The updated decree is regarded as the basis for official GHS implementation which will cover labeling and SDS/MSDS requirements for industry in China.
Mar 16, 2011
“Regulations on the Safe management of Hazardous Chemicals” (also called Decree 591) was published, on 2nd March 2011. Recently, Legal Affairs Office of the State Council and General Administration of Quality Supervision responsible officials answered the questions about the revised regulation.
Mar 11, 2011
In order to enhance the safety of human health and the environment, the GHS (Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of chemicals) was issued as a recommendation from the United Nations in 2003. The purpose of implementing GHS is for the provision of a recognized framework for countries without an existing system, to reduce the need for testing and evaluation of chemicals and to facilitate the international trade in chemicals whose hazards have been properly assessed and identified.
Feb 24, 2011
The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals or GHS refers to a global harmonized system for hazard definition, classification and communication for chemicals. GHS covers all hazardous chemical substances or mixtures and classifies them according to their physical, health and environmental hazards. Following classification, the hazards can be communicated through labelilng and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).
Feb 06, 2011
China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) promulgated “Measures on Environmental Management of New Chemical Substances” (MEP Order No. 7, also called China REACH) which came into force on 15th October 2010. The regulation bears some similarities with EU REACH but in practice the two systems are very different. In this article the major differences are outlined.
Nov 10, 2010
Other Countries/Regions
On May 28, 2023, Peru's Minister of the Environment (MINAM) approved Legislative Decree No. 1570 and published it on the Official Gazette, which marks the implementation of national chemical management framework. It establishes a National Registry of Chemical Substances (RENASQ) and a process for risk assessment of priority substance.
Jun 05, 2023
On May 9, 2023, Brazil’s Constitution, Justice and Citizenship Commission (CCJC) approved the National Chemical Law (PL 6120/19). The Bill will now be submitted to Senate for consideration. Once passed, the Bill will serve as the Brazil REACH Regulation and make Brazil the third countries in South America to establish a chemical management law after Chile and Colombia.
May 30, 2023
The UK Government recently announced the plan to revoke Annex VIII of EU CLP (Classification, Labelling and Packaging) by the end of 2023. At present, Annex VIII remains applicable in the UK.
May 23, 2023
According to the Gazette on April 3, 2023, Japan added six substances to the List of Priority Assessment Chemical Substances (PACs) following the removal of six substances on March 31. The total number in the List is 218 now.
May 17, 2023
On May 9, 2023, Thailand’s Department of Industrial Works (DIW) published in the Royal Gazette the revised regulation – Safety Measures for Chemical Management in Industrial Plants (No. 2) B.E. 2566 (2023). Grace periods are provided for the annual reporting of 2022.
May 16, 2023
On April 27, 2023, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) published 67 substances with corresponding occupational exposure limits (8-hour OELs and 15-minute OELs).
May 11, 2023
Announced on NITE's website in mid-April 2023, the Japanese government started this year's "Public-Private Partnership GHS Classification Information Collection Project".
May 06, 2023
On April 9, 2021, Colombia issued Resolution 0773/2021 to implement GHS in the workplace. Chemical products should be classified in accordance with the sixth revised edition of the Globally Harmonized System of Classifying and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS Rev.6), as well as the labeling and Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
Apr 20, 2023
Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently opened a public consultation on removing citronella oil (CAS No. 8000-29-1) from Annex 4.1 of Thailand’s List of Hazardous Substances under the Hazardous Substances Act B.E. 2535 (1992) .
Apr 10, 2023
On March 6, 2023, India published the Transportation of Dangerous Goods — Guidelines (IS 18149:2023), which provides guidelines on packaging, labeling, handling and transport operations for safe transportation of dangerous goods based on their classification.
Apr 06, 2023
On February 28, 2023, Thailand's DIW issued an order in the Royal Gazette regarding the destruction of 8 PFOA-related substances (when they are classified as Type 4 hazardous substances).
Mar 29, 2023
On February 6, 2023, Singapore Standards Council published the revised GHS implementation Rules, namely SS 586-2 and SS 586-3. The revised standards adopt the requirements set out in GHS Rev.7, with combustible dust elements included from GHS Rev.8. They took effect on February 6, 2023 with a two-year grace period.
Mar 16, 2023
Two batches of 1,469 hazardous substances are proposed to mandate SDS and labelling requirements under Japan ISHL.
Mar 13, 2023
On February 6, 2023, Singapore Standards Council officially released the revised standards of SS 586 Part 2 and Part 3.
Mar 09, 2023
On January 27, 2023, the Korean Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) consulted on draft amendments to the Standards for Classification and Labeling of Chemical Substances and Material Safety Data Sheet (MOEL Public Notice No. 2020-130). Comments are welcome before February 6, 2023.
Mar 03, 2023
On February 20, 2023, Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) published the revised Categories and Management of Handling for Toxic Chemical Substance (hereinafter referred to as the Regulation), which took effect immediately.
Feb 24, 2023
On February 17, 2023, New Zealand’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) announced a three-year work plan for reassessments of fifteen approved hazardous substances (HS).
Feb 23, 2023
Australia’s National Transport Commission (NTC) is consulting on the changes in classification information for dangerous goods under the Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road & Rail (ADG Code). Comments are welcome before March 17, 2023.
Feb 23, 2023
Japan is consulting on a ban on the manufacture and import of PFHxS and its salts and the import of some product types containing them via a partial revision to the Enforcement Ordinance of the Chemical Substance Control Law (CSCL). Comments are welcome before March 19, 2023.
Feb 22, 2023
On February 17, 2023, Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) issued a circular to announce the adoption of the proposed control of 26 chemicals as hazardous substances (HS) under the Environmental Protection and Management Act (EPMA) and its supporting regulation - EPM (HS) Regs. It will take effect on August 21, 2023.
Feb 21, 2023
On November 23, 2022, South Korea’s Ministry of Environment (MoE) published eleven candidate substances to be included in the K-REACH Authorization List.
Feb 17, 2023
From January 1, 2023, manufactures, importers, suppliers and users of hazardous chemicals in Australia should use UN GHS Rev. 7 to classify and label hazardous chemicals.
Feb 17, 2023
Taiwan EPA is consulting on designating 15 chemical substances as “chemical substances of concern”, including 2 new psychoactive substances, 5 chemicals of food safety concerns and 8 precursors for blasting explosives. The 14-day consultation period will end on September 22, 2022.
Jan 13, 2023
South Korea’s Ministry of Environment (MoE) is consulting until December 4, 2022 on a draft amendment to the Restricted Chemical Substances List by MoE Notice No. 2022-627. As proposed, the ministry will delay the implementation date of the new restrictions for a chromium (6+) compound – strontium chromate (CAS No.7789-06-2).
Dec 30, 2022
Edition 7.8 of Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road & Rail (a.k.a. ADG Code) can be used from April 1 of 2023 and is mandatory from April 1 of 2024.
Dec 29, 2022
Thailand’s Department of Industry and Works (DIW) recently issued a circular to announce the adoption of draft amendments to the List of Hazardous Substances under the Hazardous Substances Act B.E. 2535 (1992).
Dec 23, 2022
On November 4, 2022, the revised Toxic and Concerned Chemical Substances Labelling and SDS Regulation was make public in the offical Gazette. The amendments took effect immediately, except for Article 3 and Article 4 which will come into force on October 31, 2023.
Nov 25, 2022
Companies manufacturing or importing chemicals at 100~1,000 tons/y shall submit MSDS and apply for CBI protection (if needed) before January 16, 2023.
Nov 23, 2022
Japan is consulting on a ministerial notice1 to clarify the definition of “carcinogenic substances” regulated under the Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health (hereafter referred to as the Ordinance), a subordinate regulation to the Industrial Safety and Health Act (ISHL).
Nov 18, 2022
Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLITT) is consulting on the proposed updates of the Regulations for Transport and Storage of Dangerous Goods by Ships and the Standards Concerning the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Ships, aiming to align Japan’s rules for the transport of dangerous goods (TDG) by ships with the international rules - International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code) 2022 Edition. The consultation will end on November 28, 2022. Once approved, they are expected to be officially released in late December 2022 and take effect from January 2023.
Nov 17, 2022
On February 10, 2022, Indonesia published the Minister of Trade No. 7 of 2022 Regulation Concerning Distribution and Control of Hazardous Substances (hereinafter referred to as the Regulation) and came into force on the same day. The Regulation consists of 44 articles and 3 attachments, establishing a management framework for the distribution, reporting, returning, destruction of hazardous substances.
Nov 16, 2022
Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) currently regulates decaBDE, PFOA and PFHxS as Hazardous Substances under the Environmental Protection and Management Act (EPMA) and Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) Regulations (EPM(HS) Regs). Tightened regulatory requirements will be imposed on them.
Nov 14, 2022
On October 25, 2022, New Zealand’s Environment Committee conducted the third reading of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (Hazardous Substances Assessment) Amendment Bill, which was introduced in July 2021 to streamline hazardous substances assessment and reassessment process. The Bill received the Royal Assent on October 31 and came into force from November 2022.
Nov 11, 2022
On October 27, 2022, Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade promulgated the Circular No.17/2022/TT-BCT to amend and supplement a number of articles of Circular No.32/2017/TT-BCT, a circular that provides guidelines for implementation regulations of Law on Chemicals. The Circular will take effect from December 22, 2022.
Nov 10, 2022
On October 18, 2022, Vietnam’s Government issued Decree 82/2022/ND-CP to introduce amendments to the existing Decree 113/2017/ND-CP, one of many decrees supporting the implementation of the Law on Chemicals. The new Decree is set to take effect on December 22, 2022.
Nov 08, 2022
Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) issued on July 21, 2022 the draft amendments of the Toxic and Concerned Chemical Substances Labelling and SDS Regulation (hereafter referred to as the “Regulation”). The draft proposal is currently undergoing a 30-day public consultation.
Nov 08, 2022
Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) recently published the consultation outcome of the public consultation on proposed control of 26 chemicals as hazardous substances (HS) opened in June 2022.
Oct 25, 2022
In September 2022, Brazil published the third draft of ABNT NBR 14725: Chemicals – Information about Safety, Health and Environment – General Aspects of the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), Classification, SDS, and Labeling of Chemicals. This proposed version is set to adopt the 7th revision of the UN GHS.
Oct 21, 2022
On October 6, 2022, South Korea’s National Institute of Environment Research (NIER) issued two notifications to make public the updated Toxic Chemical Substances List and GHS Classification List. They will come into force one month after publication.
Oct 18, 2022
On August 3, 2022, India’s Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) announced that all N2 and N3 vehicles carrying dangerous goods to be fitted with vehicle tracking system device.
Oct 14, 2022
In October 2022, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) updated its comprehensive guidance on labelling and SDS preparation under the PRTR Law. The guidance in Japanese is now available on the METI website.
Oct 13, 2022
On July 19, 2022, Russia released three new standards as national standards, establishing requirements for hazard classification, safety data sheet (SDS) and labelling in accordance with the 7th revised edition of UN GHS.
Oct 11, 2022
On July 27, 2022, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed at a seminar on the "Safe Use of Chemicals at Workplace" between the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers (DCPC) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) for adopting the International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs).
Aug 23, 2022
Here, we will examine why it is so important to use the right solutions for packaging, labeling and storage of hazardous substances, as well as detailing the essential information that good safety labeling needs to communicate.
Aug 05, 2022
On June 30, 2022, South Korea’s National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) issued the Guide for Classification and Labeling of Mixtures (NIER-GP2022-027), which aims to help stakeholders to better comply with obligations under K-REACH and K-CCA.In addition to the Guide, a leaflet illustrating rules and methods of classification and labeling with various examples was issued as well.
Aug 04, 2022
India is consulting on a revision to the Classification of Dangerous Goods (Third Revision of IS 1446). It lists the proper shipping name, UN number, class or division, and the subsidiary hazard of 2,336 dangerous goods that are most commonly transported in India. The consultation period will end on September 20, 2022.
Aug 03, 2022
On July 21, 2022, South Korea’s National Institute of Chemical Safety (NICS) consulted on the draft amendments to the Regulation on Specific Handling Standards for Hazardous Chemicals. Any comments are welcome before August 10, 2022. Once these amendments are adopted and released to the public, they will take effect immediately.
Aug 02, 2022
On July 26, 2022, the Japanese National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) updated the List of CAS numbers for the Class I and Class II substances controlled under the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) Law.
Aug 01, 2022
On July 15, 2022, South Korea’s Ministry of Environment announced by the amendment to the Designation of Restricted Substances and Prohibited Substances (MoE Announcement No. 2022-138) that the implementation of restrictions on lead will be delayed. More specifically, the grace period for implementing restrictions on manufacture, import, sale, keeping/storage, transportation, and use of lead and its mixture (above 0.009% of lead) in metal ornaments is further extended by two years.
Jul 28, 2022
ChemLinked selected 15 FAQs to address some problems encountered in submitting MSDS and applying for CBI protection. ChemLinked will keep updating new FAQs. Please stay tuned to get the updates.
Jul 21, 2022
The Japan Chemical Industry Association (JCIA) recently published a guidance to assist industry in compilating SDSs according to the new requirements under the revised ISHL. The guidance, although not an official regulation, is considered of high value for reference since it was prepared in in-depth cooperation with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW).
Jul 18, 2022
On July 7, 2022, the Central Environment Council under Japanese Ministry of Economy issued a notice that 56 perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)-related compounds will be designated as Class I Specified Chemical Substances controlled under Chemical Substance Control Law (CSCL) after the public consultation in March 2022 and 4 rounds of discussions within the Council afterwards.
Jul 13, 2022
ChemLinked invited Dr. Toru Suzuki, who is a former General Manager of Chemicals Management dept. of Japan Chemical Industry Association (JCIA), to share his insights into the latest framework of Chemical Management around GHS in Japan including the updated version of JIS standards and some points to note for companies exporting chemicals to Japan.
Jul 06, 2022
On June 27, 2022, Thailand’s Department of Industrial Works (DIW) published in the Government Gazette the revised Notification of the Department of Industrial Works Re: Declaration of the Production or Import of Hazardous Substances of Annex 5.6 under Responsibility of the DIW B.E. 2565 (2022), which will come into force on September 25 and the previous version issued in 2015 will be repealed at the same time.
Jun 30, 2022
On June 13, 2022, Malaysia’s Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) issued the draft amendments to the Occupational Safety and Health (Classification, Labelling and Safety Data Sheet of Hazardous Chemicals) Regulations 2013 (CLASS Regulations). The draft proposal is currently undergoing public consultation until August 15, 2022.
Jun 27, 2022
Japan launched a new project to regularly collect testing data on chemical hazards from the public every year.
Jun 22, 2022
On May 31, 2022, Japan’s Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW) published the amendments to Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health, which stipulated new rules about the SDS delivery methods, SDS elements, labelling requirements, etc.
Jun 07, 2022
Japan has aligned its JIS Z 7252 and 7253 standards on chemical classification, labelling and safety data sheets (SDSs) with the GHS Rev.6. Chemical suppliers have until May 24, 2022 to adopt the requirements and update their SDSs and labels.
May 27, 2022
On April 28, 2022, Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) issued draft amendments to the Circular No. 32/2017/TT-BCT which was effective on December 28, 2017 as implementation guidelines to the Decree No. 113/2017 and the Law on Chemicals. Comments are welcome before June 26, 2022.
May 20, 2022
On 4 April, the Enterprise Singapore published two draft standards for water-based paints. The consultation will end on May 5, 2022.
May 04, 2022
On April 18, 2022, South Korea’s National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) issued two notices (NIER Announcement No.2022-158 and NIER Announcement No.2022-159), seeking public comments on the amendments to the Toxic Chemical Substances List (TCSL) and the GHS Classification List. The consultations will end on May 9, 2022.
Apr 29, 2022
On April 8, 2022, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced to initiate a nationalwide supervision campaign on MSDS. Korean manufacturers and importers are required to review internal management on MSDS and fill in the self-checklist from April 11, 2022 to May 31, 2022. The Basin/Regional Departments of Employment and Labor conduct spot checks from July 2022 on the compliance of units and rectify issues uncovered.
Apr 22, 2022
On March 25, 2022, Thailand’s Ministry of Industry issued on the Government Gazette1 the revised standard TIS 685-1:2562 (2019)2 for toys safety. It will come into force on September 22, 2022, replacing TIS 685 (1997).
Apr 20, 2022
The Taiwan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Ministry of Labor (MoL) has made CMRs exposure precaution a key priority for occupational disease prevention in the following five years (2022-2027). As a follow-up, the MoL issued a notification in December last year, announcing that inspections would be carried out since 2022 on enterprises and sites handling substances possessing CMR Category 1.
Apr 12, 2022
On April 2, 2022, the draft revisions to Part 2 and Part 3 of the SS 586 series for the GHS classification, labelling and SDS were released for a 2-month public consultation until June 6, 2022. The amendments were proposed to adopt the GHS Rev.7.
Apr 12, 2022
On March 31, 2022, Thailand’s Department of Industrial Works (DIW) notified WTO of the draft amendments to the List of Hazardous Substances under the Hazardous Substances Act (Notification G/TBT/N/THA/659) for comments until May 31, 2022. As per the Notification, the DIW drafted some amendments to revise and add certain hazardous substances on the List of Hazardous Substances.
Apr 07, 2022
On March 14, 2022, the New Zealand’s Environment Committee published a report of the recommendations on the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (Hazardous Substances Assessment) Amendments Bill. New clauses are recommended to be added to the HSNO Act.
Mar 22, 2022
On March 4, 2022, Thailand’s Department of Industrial Works (DIW) announced to solicit public comments on the draft Notification of the Department of Industrial Works Re: Criteria for the Consideration of Hazard Properties under the Annex 5.6 of the List of Hazardous Substances Responsible for the Department of Industrial Works.
Mar 10, 2022
On February 13, 2022, the South Korean Ministry of Environment (MoE) announced that products, which have been designated as “household chemical products subject to safety confirmation” or have obtained biocidal product approval under K-BPR, can be exempted from K-CCA since February 14, 2022 to avoid duplicative management.
Feb 25, 2022
On February 11, 2022, Thailand’s Department of Industrial Works (DIW) announced to solicit public comments for the draft amendments to the Ministerial Regulation B.E 2537 (1994) issued under Hazardous Substance Act B.E. 2535 (1992), prescribing rules on the application for, or the issuance/modification of the permit of import/export/production/possession of Type 3 hazardous substance via online system.
Feb 23, 2022
Thailand implemented GHS Rev.3 for hazardous substances used in fisheries.
Feb 22, 2022
On February 9, 2022, Thailand’s Department of Industrial Works (DIW) issued a notice to solicit public comments on adding PFOA, its salts, and PFOA-related compounds (eight substances) to the Annex 5.1 of the List of Hazardous Substances. In addition, they will be classified as Type 3 and Type 4 substances due to specific conditions. The consultation will due on February 25, 2022.
Feb 14, 2022
On December 14, 2021, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health notified WTO of the draft amendments on the Notification of the Ministry of Public Health Re: Labels of Hazardous Substances Responsible for the Food and Drug Administration B.E. 2558 (2015). As proposed, the signal word (danger/warnings) will be a mandatory label element for small containers.
Feb 09, 2022
On January 28, 2022, Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) released the revised lists of poisonous and deleterious chemicals designated under the Poisonous and Deleterious Substances Control Law (PDSCL).
Feb 09, 2022
On October 22, 2021, Australia published a notice to seek public feedback on the draft evaluation statements of 24 chemicals in accordance with the Rolling Action Plan. The consultation ended on December 17, 2021. The completed evaluation statements were published on January 14, 2022.
Jan 14, 2022
On September 13, 2021, 23 toxic chemical substances (Given No. 2021-1-1057~2021-1-1079) were officially listed into the Toxic Chemical Substances List (TCSL) by NIER Announcement No.2021-62, with corresponding classification information, pictograms, signal words, hazard statements, M factors and UN No.
Sep 29, 2021
On September 16, 2021, the revision to Taiwan’s Standards of Hazard Prevention for Specific Chemicals was approved with the changes scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2023.
Sep 24, 2021
India’s Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) published a draft standard prescribing the requirements and the methods of sampling and test for toluene diisocyanate (TDI-80).
Sep 06, 2021
The Environment Committee is calling for public submissions on the HSNO Amendment Bill. It was introduced to New Zealand’s parliament on 14 July, 2021 and passed its first reading on 10 August, 2021.The closing date for submissions is 3 October 2021.
Sep 02, 2021
On June 10, 2021, Bangladesh's Department of Environment (DOE) published the Hazardous Waste (e-waste) Management Rules (hereinafter referred to as the Rules), 2021 under the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995. It took effect immediately.
Sep 02, 2021
Japan MHLW will listen to the views and feedback from stakeholders on the Implementation of Health Hazard Prevention Measures for 236 Substances Including 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl acrylate from 10:00 to 12:00 on August 30. The deadline for submitting comments is 12:00 on August 27.
Aug 20, 2021
In this article we will introduce how Korea’s new rules regulate CBI issues in regard to application, extension, provision of the approval number on the Korean MSDS, etc.
Aug 19, 2021
On July 5, 2021, South Korea’s Ministry of Environment (MoE) announced the updates to the Regulations on the Stipulated Quantities for Toxic Substances, Restricted Substances, Prohibited Substances and Substances Subject to Authorization by MoE Announcement No.2021-134, which came into effect immediately.
Aug 03, 2021
1,800 hazardous substances are proposed to mandate SDS and labelling requirements under ISHL in the following three years.
Jul 27, 2021
The amendment focuses on the declaration of imported chemicals, chemical accident response, and industrial chemicals management, etc.
Jul 19, 2021
On July 12, 2021, South Korea’s National Institute of Environmental Research announced the updates to the GHS Classification List by NIER Announcement No. 2021-40, which came into effect immediately.
Jul 12, 2021
Australian ADG Code edition 7.7 makes the requirements for the transport of LQ dangerous goods in Australia consistent with accepted overseas practice with minor differences aimed at addressing risks that are unique to the Australian transport environment.
Jul 02, 2021
On May 24, 2021, the Philippine Environmental Management Bureau under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-EMB) published a memorandum circular titled 2021 Updated Philippine Inventory of Chemicals and Chemical Substances (PICCS), expanding the present number of chemicals listed in the PICCS to 22, 277 with the addition of 52 new chemicals.
Jun 01, 2021
To catch up with the international standards, Thailand is planning to strengthen the management of triethanolamine, benzyl cyanide, and PFOA and its related compounds.
May 07, 2021
It’s been almost three months since South Korea implemented the new MSDS rules on January 16, 2021. The authority published a leaflet in English illustrating the detailed requirements to facilitate the implementation.
Apr 07, 2021
In early March 2021, Safe Work Australia (SWA), Australia’s top body for work health and safety, announced the completion of the Hazardous Chemical Information System (HCIS).
Apr 07, 2021
Taiwan EPA proposed to list ammonium nitrate and hydrogen fluoride as the second and third concerned chemicals, following the previous designation of nitrous oxide as the first concerned chemical on October 30, 2020. It is now subject to a period of public consultation lasting 60 days.
Mar 30, 2021
In late February 2021, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) released a ministerial document, in which it provided a draft timetable for subjecting up to 2,600 more substances to mandatory SDS and labelling requirements.
Mar 19, 2021
The number of articles of the Act has increased from 100 to 108, provisions on exemption conditions and management on special chemical substances are added, and specifications on chemical substances assessment and legal responsibilities are detailed. The rights and responsibilities of relevant administrations are further clarified, and transitional provisions for materials that are not chemical substances are specified as well.
Jan 20, 2021
MSDS submission and CBI non-disclosure approval through the KOSHA IT system is mandatory before manufacture or import, which will take effect on Jan 16, 2021.Overseas manufacturers are allowed to appoint an only representative (OR) based in Korea to comply with the obligations.
Dec 28, 2020
On November 12, 2020, Korean Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) published the revised Standards for Classification and Labeling of Chemical Substances and Material Safety Data Sheet by Public Notice No.2020-130. It will enter into force on January 16, 2021, the same implementation date of the revised Occupational Safety and Health Act (K-OSHA).
Nov 17, 2020
On November 5th, 2020, New Zealand's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) issued news titled Chemical management changes coming in 2021, which announces that the government has approved the application of the GHS Rev.7 classification system for hazardous substances. The new system will replace the current HSNO classification system and enter into effect on April 30th, 2021.
Nov 13, 2020
FDA drafted a notification to specify the application, approval and change of transit license of hazardous substances for the better implementation of relevant requirements in HSA No.4. The consultation period will conclude on December 15th, 2020. The application and permission forms are provided as attachments for enterprises to refer to.
Nov 12, 2020
A revision to Brazil’s standard on chemical labelling and hazard communication was proposed, which adopts GHS Rev.7 and will replace the current four-volume standard with a new one which has 17 annexes.
Nov 09, 2020
The report summarizes the number of received and approved chemical substance inventories in 2019 and the possible adjustments to the chemical management. The number of accounts in CIMS are also mentioned.
Nov 03, 2020
In effect from October 30, 2020, nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, has been listed by Taiwan EPA as the first concerned chemical substance under the Toxic and Concerned Chemical Substances Control Act (TCCSCA). Its production, import, sale, use and storage are subject to tightened regulations to tackle the growing misuse issues.
Nov 02, 2020
On October 21, 2020, the revision to Taiwan’s Toxic Chemical Substances Hazard Prevention and Response Plan Regulations was approved with the changes scheduled to take effect on November 1, 2020. Taiwan EPA aligned the Regulations with the new Toxic and Concerned Chemical Substances Control Act(TCCSCA) and renamed it as the Toxic and Concerned Chemical Substances Hazard Prevention and Response Plan Regulations.
Oct 29, 2020
Vietnam is going to adopt a technical regulation that provides reference regulations or general requirements on safety in the process of producing, storage, transportation, and the use of hazardous chemicals.
Oct 28, 2020
India released the fifth draft of the Chemicals (Management and Safety) Rules (known as “India REACH”) on August 24, 2020. This fifth draft is believed to be the final draft, despite the fourth draft issued in March 2020 was claimed as the final draft. As planned, it will be notified to the WTO for a 60-day consultation and come into force early next year.
Sep 27, 2020
The business operators of five categories of products containing HUHS, including ENDS/ENNDS, DIY and hobby items, and children care articles, etc. will have to comply with the reinstated licensing requirements.
Sep 22, 2020
In response to international management trends of dicofol, on September 18, 2020, Taiwan EPA listed Dicofol into the Toxic Chemical Substance List (TCSL) as Class 1, 3 toxic chemical and implemented a blanket ban on it. In addition, the management on several POPs that were previously listed as toxic chemical were tightened.
Sep 18, 2020
Classification and labeling information for 11 previously published toxic substances and 1 restricted substance will be updated. 45 substances will be designated as new toxic chemicals, provided with classification and labelling information.
Sep 10, 2020
A huge explosion ripped through the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Tuesday evening local time, leaving dozens dead and thousands injured, according to the country’s officials.
Aug 05, 2020
Controls for 7 hazardous substances are updated in Singapore, aiming to streamline the regulatory requirements.
Jul 23, 2020
To bring New Zealand into line with international standards and finally ratify the Minimata Convention, the government proposes to introduce a permitting system for trade in mercury and prohibit the sale, manufacture, import, and export of certain products containing mercury.
Jul 17, 2020
The First Thailand Existing Chemicals Inventory includes 11,474 entries. Using the online search tool, the substances in the inventory can be searched by CAS Number, chemical name, molecular formulas, etc.
Jul 09, 2020
On June 8, 2020, Korean Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) published the draft revision to the Standards for Classification and Labeling of Chemical Substances and Material Safety Data Sheet[1] (hereafter referred to as the draft Standard) by MoEL Notice No.2020-247. Public comments are welcome before June 29, 2020.
Jun 24, 2020
On June 18, 2020, the New Zealand Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) announced that it identifies 18 hazardous substances which have met the criteria for reassessment.
Jun 23, 2020
On June 5, 2020, Safe Work Australia (SWA), Australia's national authority for work health and safety, announced in a press release that, the adoption of the 7th revised edition of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) will be delayed to January 1, 2021.
Jun 08, 2020
In conclusion, the above 5 chemicals are proposed to be changed to Type 4, which means they will be totally prohibited. What’s more, the exemption condition for Chlorpyrifos, Chlorpyrifos-methyl and Paraquat dichloride are repealed as well.
Jun 01, 2020
On April 28, 2020, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) published a notice to solicit comments on adjustments to the lists of poisonous and deleterious chemicals designated under the Poisonous and Deleterious Substances Control Law (PDSCL), four months after the first round of consultation.
May 13, 2020
The draft specifies that a declaration is required when the stakeholders engage in storage, manufacturing, import, export activities above 100kg per half-year. The list of hazardous substances that are subject to the declaration has been updated.
Apr 29, 2020
Thailand DIW is currently consulting on three draft regulations under HAS, which includes: the exemption conditions under the Act, the exemption conditions of List 5.6 substances, and the inclusion criteria for List 5.6 Hazardous Substance. The consultation will conclude on April 30. Online submission, telephone feedback, and email feedback are all available.
Apr 16, 2020
On March 19, 2020, the World Trade Organization (WTO) issued a Notification to solicit comments from members on Vietnam's draft Circular which promulgated the List of active ingredients banned from use and restricting the scope of insecticide and disinfectant registration for household and medical use. According to the Notification, the consultation will last for 60 days, and the draft Circular is scheduled for adoption in June and will finally enter in force on August 1.
Apr 10, 2020
13 new substances were designated as toxic chemical substances after hazard evaluation under K-REACH. Mandatory classification and labelling elements of these toxic substances were published.
Apr 08, 2020
At last, MOIT also recommends enterprises to communicate with the government through phone or e-mail if they need other technical support. For the foreign enterprises that plan to trade with Vietnam and are concern with the GHS implementation in Vietnam, it is a good chance to communicate with the local government as well.
Apr 03, 2020
Speaking at ChemCon held in Philadelphia on March 5, 2020, Caroline Li from ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd mentioned Thailand’s chemical management work plan for the next few years. Details were also offered on the notification requirements for hazardous substances in List 5.6 and planned to phase-out some plastic products.
Mar 17, 2020
Speaking at ChemCon held in Philadelphia on March 5, 2020, Ms. Hanisah Ahmad from Malaysia’s Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) introduced the current status of hazardous chemical legislations, challenges in chemical control, and future plans of Malaysia.
Mar 13, 2020
Published on February 24, 2020 by NIER Notice No. 2020-14[1], South Korea's National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) is now consulting on the potential updates on the Toxic Chemical Substances List (TCSL)
Mar 04, 2020
In the October of 2019, the Malaysia Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) promulgated the Industry Code of Practice on Chemicals Classification and Hazard Communication (Amendment) 2019 Part 1 (ICOP 2019 Part 1) as a guidance to chemical suppliers to comply with the provisions in Part II of the Occupational Safety and Health (Classification, Labelling and Safety Data Sheet of Hazardous Chemicals) Regulations 2013 (aka. the CLASS Regulations, hereinafter is referred to as "the Regulations").
Feb 27, 2020
The revised Occupational Safety and Health Act[1] (OSHA) was promulgated as Law No. 16272 on January 15, 2019 (CL news[2]). One of the major amendments requires the submission of SDS to the Ministry of Employment and Labour (MoEL) within five years after the amendment is implemented (from January 16, 2021).
Feb 12, 2020
On January 10, 2020, the Safe Work Australia (SWA) announced in a press release [1] that its members have agreed to practice the 7th revised edition of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) for management of workplace hazardous chemicals. Earlier in July 2019, the agency opened a consultation on the proposal to move to GHS Revision 7 (ChemLinked news [2]).
Jan 15, 2020
Takehome:
Taiwan EPA published the new Toxic and Concerned Chemical Substances Labelling and SDS Regulation.
The revised Regulation will come into effect on January 16, 2020, the same implementation date as Taiwan TCCSCA.
The amendments of the Toxic Chemical Substances Labelling and SDS Regulation, renamed as the Toxic and Concerned Chemical Substances Labelling and SDS Regulation (hereafter referred to as the Regulation) was promulgated by Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) on January 13, 2010.
Jan 15, 2020
On December 23rd, 2019, Taiwan EPA announced the amendments of the Principles for Screening and Identification of Toxic Chemical Substances. The Principles were updated according to the new Toxic and Concerned Chemical Substances Control Act (TCCSCA) and will help to assess whether a substance should be identified as a toxic substance or a substance of concern.
Dec 27, 2019
On 29th October, New Zealand Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) issued a notice seeking public feedback on the proposal to change the classification system for hazardous substances in New Zealand.
Nov 07, 2019
In October, the Thailand Department of Agriculture (DOA) issued a notice [1] seeking public feedback on the new revision of the Hazardous Substances List. This revision is supposed to enter into effect on 1st December.
Nov 05, 2019
On Oct 21th, 2019, South Korea’s National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) announced the updates to the GHS Classification List, which came into effect immediately.
Oct 24, 2019
Hazardous Substance Act (HSA) is the most major chemical regulation in Thailand, which has been revised four times since it was released in 1992. In April 2019, Thailand released the Hazardous Substance Act (No.4), which will take effect on 27th October 2019. The fourth revision focused on stating the definition of “transit” and separating it from “import” and speeding up the customs process by reducing repeat steps.
Oct 14, 2019
Takehome:
The Japanese METI plans to adjust the criteria of substance selection as well as the substances list under its PRTR system.
Sep 26, 2019
On Jun 4th, 2015, The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) implemented a Special Act on Safety Management of Children’s Products for all products or parts/components designed for children under 13 years. Children’s products are regulated under the Special Act which is supported by the Common Safety Standards and product specific vertical standards.
Sep 20, 2019
On Sep 11th, 2019, South Korea’s National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) announced the updates to the GHS Classification List, which came into effect immediately.
Sep 16, 2019
On August 29th, 2019, New Zealand’s EPA issued a consultation seeking public feedback on a chemical review of the hazard classifications of 79 substances, including single chemicals and mixtures containing chemicals.
Sep 02, 2019
The new Toxic and Chemical Substances of Concern Control Act[1] (TCSCCA), previously known as the Toxic Chemical Substance Control Act (TCSCA) will be fully implemented on Jan 16th, 2020 (CL news[2]).
Aug 21, 2019
On August 19th, 2019, the Ministry for the Environment[2] of New Zealand issued a public consultation[3] on proposed changes to New Zealand’s hazardous substances management system. MFE of New Zealand issued this consultation in order to make improvements on the assessment and reassessment process of new and existing hazardous substances and to encourage the introduction of beneficial and ‘greener’ substances.
Aug 21, 2019
Published on Jul 31st, 2019 by NIER Notice No. 2019-307, South Korea's National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) is now consulting on potential updates to the GHS Classification List.
Aug 07, 2019
According to the notification and original text, the draft regulates technical requirements for secondary lithium batteries and secondary lithium batteries used in devices. The text consists of 6 chapters, including general provisions, technical regulations, testing methods, management regulations, responsibilities of organizations and individuals etc.
Jul 19, 2019
On July 3, 2019, the Safe Work Australia (SWA) opened a consultation on the proposal to adopt an updated version of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) for management of workplace hazardous chemicals.[1] The consultation is set to end on July 28, 2019.
Jul 08, 2019
On June 27, 2019, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) of New Zealand published the HSNO Enforcement Report 2018. The report looks at the enforcement of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 (the HSNO Act) for the 2017/18 financial year (July 1 2017 – June 30 2018).
Jun 29, 2019
Aiming to provide reference for the further implementation of GHS and the sound management of chemicals by relevant authorities and enterprises, this article generally introduces the coming changes of main technical contents in the 8th revised edition of UN GHS Purple Book (GHS rev. 8).
Jun 19, 2019
A container ship berthed at Thailand’s Laem Chabang port was decimated by a fire and explosion on May 25, 2019, leaving 25 people injured and as many as 130 hospitalized. According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) under the Thai Ministry of Interior, the ship was named KMTC Hong Kong (IMO 9157753), a vessel built in 1998, owned and managed by a South Korean company.
May 31, 2019
Japanese Official Gazette published the latest version of standards for GHS classification and labelling and SDS preparation.
The revisions are made to align with UN GHS Rev.6.
May 30, 2019
Four OSHA’s enforcement rules were revised and the drafts are open for public comments until 3 June.
Amendments focus on increased liability for company representatives and contractors, prohibition on sub-contracting high risk work, SDS submission, etc.
May 20, 2019
38 substances have been newly classified as toxic and provided with classification and labeling information.
Classification and labeling information has been updated for three previously published substances.
All these substances are still considered new chemicals and require registration under K-REACH.
May 07, 2019
South Korea's National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) is now consulting on the hazard evaluation results of new chemical substances registered under K-REACH by NIER Notice No. 2019-129. Any comments are welcome before 3 Apr 2019.
Mar 20, 2019
On 11 Mar, Thailand’s Department of Industrial Works (DIW) issued a notice (B.E.2562), consulting on a proposal to make some changes to the List of Hazardous Substances under the Hazardous Substances Control Act (HSCA). The proposed changes are as follows, which relates to Annex 4.1, 4.2 and 5.1.
Mar 15, 2019
Taiwan is to revise the Measures for Incentives for Operation of Toxic Chemicals. A draft proposal has been issued for public comments until 28 April. Major updates will be made to expand the measure’s scope to cover chemical substances of concern.
Mar 06, 2019
Taiwan EPA listed three POPs into the Toxic Chemical Substance List.
Corresponding transitional period was provided for compliance.
Mar 06, 2019
Importing/exporting HFCs in New Zealand will require a permit after Dec 31, 2019
The eligibility deadline for “grandparented”* import permit is Mar 18, 2019
Feb 22, 2019
Taiwan’s Toxic Chemical Substance Control Act was revised and renamed as the Toxic and Chemical Substances of Concern Control Act.
The new act will take effect one year after the promulgation, while Article 7, Article 54, Article 65, Article 67 and Article 72 will be effective immediately.
Jan 21, 2019
A major amendment to the OSHA requires the submission of SDS to the Ministry of Employment and Labour (MoEL) within 5 years after the amendment is implemented. In the future, manufacturers or importers will be obliged to prepare SDS and provide it to not only the recipients but also the MoEL.
Jan 16, 2019
Eight new substances were listed as toxic chemical substances after hazard evaluation under K-REACH.
Transitional measures were provided for control of these toxic substances.
Dec 19, 2018
On Dec 4th, 2018, Thailand Hazardous Substances Management Division under the Department of Industrial Works (DIW) opened the draft revisions to the Hazardous Substances Act to public consultation. The consultation period will end on Dec 14th, 2018.
Dec 12, 2018
Taiwan MoL issued a guidance for companies to claim CBI on SDSs.
The revised regulation for labelling and SDSs compilation of hazardous chemicals was issued on Nov 9th, 2018.
Dec 11, 2018
Eight new substances will be designated as toxic chemical substances after hazard evaluation under K-REACH.
Mandatory classification and labelling elements of the eight toxic substances are proposed for public comments.
Additional transitional measures for control of these toxic substances will be provided.
Nov 23, 2018
1. Taiwan MoEL revised the Regulation of Labeling and Hazard Communication of Hazardous Chemicals.
2. Amendments were made to Article 4, Article 5, Article 13, Article 18, Article 18-1, Article 23, Attachment 1 and Attachment 4.
Nov 15, 2018
RA 6969, known as the “Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990”, is the key legislation on management of chemical substances and mixtures in Philippine published by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). In 1992, DENR further promulgated the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 6969 to complete the implementation details.
Nov 07, 2018
Proposed revision on K-OSHA requires manufacturers and importers to prepare and submit SDS to the MoEL.
In the proposal, MoEL allows CBI protection on SDS after official audit, otherwise 100% chemical content information disclosure is required.
Currently MoEL is conducting a pilot project for CBI audit.
Nov 05, 2018
15 chemical substances were listed as toxic.
Chemical name or concentration threshold were updated for 3 toxic substances that were previously designated.
Additional transitional measures were provided for control of these substances.
Oct 17, 2018
Over the last several years there has been a global focus on development of stronger more scientific regulations on chemical safety management. Over the years, many countries and organizations have enacted laws, regulations and standards for classification and labelling of chemicals, but there are differences in terms of classification standards and labeling patterns in each region. The inconsistent classification standards result in different hazardous classification and labelling information in different countries for the same product, which brings great potential risks to the people who use chemicals. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a global uniform classification and labelling system in order to uniformly understand chemical hazards worldwide, to improve the awareness of chemical protection, and to reduce the cost of international trade. This article focuses on the relevant regulations and standards of hazardous chemicals in the Asia Pacific countries, to help enterprises d
Dec 06, 2017
23 substances have been newly added to South Korea’s GHS Classification List
Classification and labeling elements of 19 toxic substances, 1 restricted substance and 30 accident precaution chemicals have been revised.
Aug 08, 2017
Japanese National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) published on its website the latest version of GHS classification in fiscal year 2016/2017
Aug 04, 2017
Japanese MHLW will require labelling and SDS for 10 ten more substances.
May 19, 2017
Japanese MHLW conducted a survey on preparation of SDSs and a lot of problems were revealed. The authorities recommends the industry establish a digital system for SDSs.
Mar 10, 2017
The scope of GHS requirements in Thailand will be extended to include mixtures.
Mar 09, 2017
South Korea’s classification criteria for “Corrosive to Metals" was updated.
Classification and labeling and UN Number of some substances were updated.
Nov 29, 2016
The GHS requirements will extend to mixtures in Indonesia
Nov 24, 2016
South Korea’s GHS Classification List was updated.
UN No. and classification and labeling information has been updated for some previously published substances.
Aug 31, 2016
2 toxic substances have been newly appended to South Korea’s toxic chemical substance list.
5 toxic substances were updated with new KE No.
Jul 14, 2016
Mexico published its national implementation of the UN GHS on October 9 of 2015, as NOM-018-STPS-2015, Harmonized system for the identification and communication of hazards and risks from hazardous chemicals in the workplace (NORMA Oficial Mexicana NOM-018-STPS-2015, Sistema armonizado para la identificación y comunicación de peligros y riesgos por sustancias químicas peligrosas en los centros de trabajo).
Nov 27, 2015
Sep 17, 2015
On Feb 19th, 2015, Ministry of Industry (MOI) published a notification pertaining to the List of Hazardous Substances (No. 2) B.E. 2558 (2015). According to the notification, manufacturers and importers of chemical substances that meet certain criteria will have to notify chemical substances to the Department of Industrial Works (DIW).
Mar 12, 2015
On March 7th 2014, Standard SS 586: 2014 “Specification for hazard communication for hazardous chemicals and dangerous goods” was approved by the Singapore Chemical Standards Committee and took effect thereafter.
Nov 26, 2014
In May 2013, Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, better known as CLP regulation, was updated based on the revised interpretations in the fourth edition of UN GHS.
Sep 28, 2014
Singapore’s taskforce on GHS implementation has approved a one year grace period for general mixtures users.
Sep 23, 2014
The United States of America (USA) has joined many other countries in adopting the “Globally Harmonized System of classification and labelling of chemicals” proposed by the UNECE.
Jun 16, 2014
Oct 25, 2013
Jul 12, 2013
