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Editor's Note: This article was originally published in March 2025 to analyze the proposed updates to the Industrial Chemical Categorisation Guidelines, and was updated on 2 September 2025 to introduce the finalized version.
On September 1, 2025, AICIS published the 2025 Industrial Chemical Categorisation Guidelines, which took effect immediately. Moreover, 118 entries have been added to the list of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation, excluding two chemicals (CAS numbers 395058-31-8 and 395058-32-9 are not added to the final list).
Related documents can be accessed below:
Previous article issued on March 4, 2025:
The Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) under the Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government recently released the outcome of public consultation on the AICIS Industrial Chemical Categorisation Guidelines for 2025 opened last year (October 24 to December 5, 2024). AICIS announced the updated version of the Categorisation Guidelines would be issued in September 2025. A 6-month transition period will be granted for all changes to give manufacturers and importers (introducers) time to ensure compliance. Notably, AICIS intends to update the guidelines in September annually.
Under the AICIS, introducers of industrial chemicals confirmed not in the Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals (AIIC) shall categorise introductions of their industrial chemicals before starting relevant activities. For different AICIS introduction categories, different obligations apply.
Source from AICIS website
To support introducers in working out the introduction category, AICIS prepared the Categorisation Guidelines, setting out technical details and requirements. The guidelines also include a list of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation (hereinafter referred to as the List), covering chemicals that trusted national and international sources consider being highly hazardous to human health or the environment.
In late October 2024, AICIS proposed to revise the Categorisation Guidelines by adding 116 entries and 4 AICIS-assessed chemicals to the List in September 2025. By December 4, 2024, AICIS received 5 submissions of feedback on the proposed changes, most of which supported the proposals. AICIS recently issued the responses to the feedback and decided to roll out the proposals without any changes.
Major updates expected in September 2025
An extra 116 chemicals considered highly hazardous by trusted national and international sources will be added to the List, as well as 4 AICIS-assessed chemicals. These chemicals have one or more hazard characteristics in human health hazard band C or environment hazard band C or D, which are in the highest hazard bands prescribed by the AICIS. Therefore, their introduction may not be able to be categorised as exempted or reported introduction categories. Additionally, introducers will not need to check any additional esters and salts of chemicals on the List.
Screenshot of proposed additions to the List
The proposed additions to the List are available here, with CAS No. (if any), chemical name, high hazard characteristic, information source, source website link.
Annual updates set in September each year
According to responses this time, AICIS proposed to issue an updated version of the Categorisation Guidelines in September each year to coincide with the AICIS registration cycle (goes from September 1 ~ August 31). Proposed changes will be made public for consultations, which will include a public notice about any chemicals that are expected to be added to the List due to updates to external sources. All the feedback will be considered before deciding on the final changes. Generally, a 6-month transition period will apply to all the changes each year to give introducers time to prepare for compliance.
