Request a Demo
On January 17, 2024, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) initiated a public consultation on mercury-added products introduced under Annex A to the Minamata Convention on Mercury. These products were introduced through Decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury at its fifth meeting. The deadline for comments is January 31, 2024.
According to the notice released by MEE, the amendment to Annex A of the Convention has not been implemented in China at present. In order to facilitate a comprehensive assessment, the public is invited to provide information on the production, usage, import/export, alternatives, or alternative technologies related to the newly included mercury-added products.
Please find below the details of the introduced mercury-added products:
1. Part 1 of Annex A subject to Article 4, Paragraph 1 of the Convention
| Mercury-added products | Date after which the manufacture, import or export of the product shall not be allowed (phase-out date) | |
| 1 | Button zinc silver oxide batteries with a mercury content < 2% and button zinc air batteries with a mercury content < 2% | 2025 |
| 2 | Very high accuracy capacitance and loss measurement bridges and high frequency radio frequency switches and relays in monitoring and control instruments with a maximum mercury content of 20 mg per bridge switch or relay, except those used for research and development purposes | 2025 |
| 3 | Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) for general lighting purposes that are > 30 watt | 2026 |
| 4 | Compact fluorescent lamps with a non-integrated ballast (CFL.ni) for general lighting purposes that are ≤ 30 watts with a mercury content not exceeding 5 mg per lamp burner | 2026 |
| 5 | Linear fluorescent lamps (LFLs) for general lighting purposes: (a) Halophosphate phosphor ≤ 40 watts with a mercury content not exceeding 10 mg per lamp (b) Halophosphate phosphor > 40 watts | 2026 |
| 6 | Linear fluorescent lamps (LFLs) for general lighting purposes: (a) Triband phosphor < 60 watts with a mercury content not exceeding 5 mg/lamp (b) Triband phosphor ≥ 60 watts with a mercury content not exceeding 5 mg per lamp (c) Triband phosphor ≥ 60 watts with a mercury content exceeding 5 mg per lamp | 2027 |
| 7 | Non-linear fluorescent lamps (NFLs) (e.g., U-bend and circular) for general lighting purposes: (a) Triband phosphor, all wattages | 2027 |
| (b) Halophosphate phosphor, all wattages | 2026 | |
| 8 | Cosmetics, including skin-lightening soaps and creams, and not including eye area cosmetics where mercury is used as a preservative and no effective and safe substitute preservatives are available | 2025 |
2. Part 2 of Annex A subject to Article 4, Paragraph 3 of the Convention
| Mercury-added products | Provisions | |
| 1 | Dental amalgam | Parties that have not yet phased out dental amalgam shall: Submit to the secretariat a national action plan or a report based on available information with respect to progress they have made or are making to phase down or phase out dental amalgam every four years as part of national reporting. |
