This regulation (Hereinafter as “New Measures”) is the revised draft on the formal State Economic and Trade Commission (under National People’s Congress) Order 35 that was put into effect on 15 November 2002. It is also considered as one important supporting document for the implementation of Decree 591, which has manifested significant modifications in terms of registrant subject range and content, etc.

On 1 July 2012, the revised final version of  the 2012 Measures was published as the SAWS Order 53 and is coming soon in force from August the first.

Major updates in the New Measures are made in the following aspects:

• Incorporating the requirements contained in the consultation opinions for the old Measures into the new Measures, such as essential qualifications for the registration office, training requirements for corporate staff responsible for HC registration, emergency telephone requirements in case of chemical accidents, etc.

• Adjusting the subject range of registrant companies and the scope of hazardous chemicals to be registered under the new Measures.

• In the old Measures, registrants subject referred to all companies engaged in the production, storage and use (in volume big enough to constitute a major hazard installation) of hazardous chemicals; however, the new Measures narrow that down to HC producers/manufacturers and include HC importers in the meantime.

• All chemicals listed in the Catalogue of Hazardous Chemicals (2002) shall be registered, while chemicals not listed in the Catalogue but identified as hazardous must still apply to the new Measures and be registered.

• Specifying the criteria of emergency response consulting phone service for corporate registrants and their agents. The new Measures set a higher standard for registration service agents in comparison to the applying enterprises.

• Adding some new requirements for the confirmation, modification, information update and cancellation of the hazardous chemicals registration certification.

• Adding a chapter of “Supervision and Administration” to elaborate the enforcement issues on hazardous chemicals registration for local competent authorities at or above the county level.