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Chinese Mainland
China GAC Adjusts the Catalogue of Import and Export Commodities that Must Be Inspected (June 1st, 2021)
On June 1st, 2021, the General Administration of Customs, P. R. China (China GAC) issued a notice to publish the Announcement on the Adjustment to the Catalogue of Import and Export Commodities that Must Be Inspected (Notice No.39 of 2021). According to the Notice and the annexed Adjustment List, the import commodity inspections for 234 kinds of commodities are canceled. While for other 8 and 24 kinds of commodities, the import or export commodity inspections are newly required respectively. (CL news)
China Adds 6 Substances to the Catalogue of Precursor Chemicals (June 7th, 2021)
On June 7, 2021, the Office of the State Council of China issued a letter to inform related authorities and the public of the approval of listing 6 substances in the Catalogue and Classification of Precursor Chemicals. Methyl α-phenylacetoacetate, α-acetoacetanilide, 3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl-2-propanone glycidic acid, and 3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl-2-propanone glycidyl ester are approved to list as Category II Precursor Chemicals , and andphenylacetonitrile and γ-butyrolactone are approved to list as Category III Precursor Chemicals. (CL news)
China’s Newly Revised Safe Production Law to Take Effect in September (June 11th, 2021)
On June 10, 2021, a revision to the Safe Production Law of the People’s Republic of China was adopted at a meeting of China’s top legislative body. The newly revised law is set to take effect starting from September 1 this year. The revision has improved the responsibility system for production safety and also involves precautions for and solutions to new problems and risks. (CL news)
China MEE Proposes to Include 8 Substances into IECSC (June 15th, 2021)
On June 15, 2021, the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) published a notice to consult on the inclusion of 8 chemical substances into the Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances (IECSC). According to MEE Order No. 12, a permanent supplementation window has been opened for chemical substances that had been manufactured, sold, used in processing or imported within China before October 15, 2003. Businesses, which wish to apply for the supplementation of any such substance into IECSC, need to submit relevant information via the new system under MEE Order No. 12. (CL news)
China Officially Accept the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol (June 21st, 2021)
On June 21, 2021, China MEE the China Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) issued an announcement that the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations has deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations a letter of acceptance by the Chinese government of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on June 17th, 2021. The Kigali Amendment will take effect in China on September 15th, 2021. Under the Amendement, HFCs will be further controlled to gradually reduce climate warming, which will benefit the development of disposal and treatment technologies of the HFCs and promote the replacement by more environmentally friendly alternatives. (CL news)
China MEE to Further Standardize Discharge Management of Industrial Solid Waste (June 24th, 2021)
On June 24, 2021, China MEE issued a notice to publish the draft ecology and environment standard Technical specification for application and issuance of pollutant permit Industrial solid waste management (on trial) and solicit public comments. The draft standard specifies requirements for information report, pollution prevention and control, and environmental management ledgers and discharge permit implementation reports preparation of industrial solid waste discharge units, and the compliance determination methods, etc. (CL news)
China MoT Clarifies Requirements for Transport of Medical MRI Machines and Limited Bottled Freon-type Refrigerant Gases (June 29th, 2021)
On June 29, 2021, the Ministry of Transport of the People's Republic of China (MoT) issued a Notice on Further Regulation of Road Transportation Management of Medical MRI Machines and Limited Bottled Freon-type Refrigerant Gases. The two types of products can be managed as general cargo in road transportation if meeting relevant requirements. (CL news)
Taiwan, China
Taiwan Consults on Amendments to Regulation of Priority Management Chemicals (June 14th, 2021)
Taiwan is consulting on changes to the Regulations Governing Designating and Handling of Priority Management Chemicals, designed to tighten controls over the handling of priority management substances which may pose serious hazards to the health and safety of workers. As a major revision, the categories of priority management chemicals and their corresponding thresholds will be updated. (CL News)
South Korea
South Korea Consults on Revised K-REACH Enforcement Decree (June 3rd, 2021)
The draft amendments to K-REACH Enforcement Decree were issued by MoE Notice No.2021-420 for public consultation until July 13, 2021. The revision proposal was made to establish procedures for designation of chemicals subject to authorization, strengthen inter-departmental cooperation for joint enforcement, facilitate hazard information communication between upper and downstream links, impose accumulatively fines on violations, etc. (CL news)
South Korean MoE Proposes Amendments to K-REACH Enforcement Rules (June 3rd, 2021)
The draft amendments to K-REACH Enforcement Rules were issued by MoE Notice No.2021-421 for public consultation until July 13, 2021. The major proposed amendments include exemptions for the submission of Chemical Safety Report (CSR) for low tonnage polymers, exemptions for duplicate submissions under K-BPR and K-REACH, establishment of a system for appeal of hazard evaluation results, etc. (CL news)
South Korea Initiates the 2021 Statistical Survey of Chemical Substances (June 7th, 2021)
On June 7, 2021, the Han River Basin Environmental Office under MoE issued a notice to announce the initiation of the 4th statistical survey of chemical substances in 38769 enterprises in its jurisdiction. The statistical survey was conducted for the first time in 2015 and shall be conducted on the current status of handling related to the handling of chemical substances, handling facilities, etc. every two years by MoE in accordance with the Chemical Control Act. (CL news)
South Korea Designates 19 New Toxic Chemical Substances (June 22nd, 2021)
South Korea's National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) listed 19 substances as toxic chemical substances (Given No. 2021-1-1038~2021-1-1056) after hazard evaluation under K-REACH by NIER Announcement No.2021-63. Some of these toxic chemical substances are still new chemical substances in South Korea and require new chemical registration other than the original registrants. (CL news)
South Korea MoE Issues a Manual for Hazardous Chemicals Handling Site Compliance (June 24th, 2021)
On June 3, 2021, the South Korea MoE issued a Hazardous Chemicals Handling Business Site Compliance Information Manual for enterprises handling hazardous substances. The manual was formulated to strengthen the management and control of hazardous substances, help relevant enterprises to correctly operate hazardous substances, and reduce and prevent chemical accidents. The Manual clarifies the obligations, relevant punishment regulations, requires the chemical accident prevention management plan, and introduces the online application and offline inspection model. (CL news)
South Korea Opens Online Platform for Approval of Biocidal Active Substances (June 25th, 2021)
The highly anticipated K-BPR online approval platform for biocidal active substances finally opened. Considering the fact that the whole process staring from applying for approval until getting a final decision on approval will take a maximum of 18 months, potential registrants of the first group of active substances, i.e., disinfectants, algaecides, rodenticides, insecticides and repellents are advised to submit dossier as soon as possible since the deadline is approaching. (CL news)
South Korea Issues Hazard Evaluation Results of Chemical Substances Registered under K-REACH (June 25th, 2021)
South Korea's NIER issued the hazard evaluation results of chemical substances registered under K-REACH by NIER Announcement No.2021-38, including adding hazard evaluation results of 85 existing substances (No.2021-085~2021-2021-169) and 160 new substances (No.2021-1~2021-160), and updating the hazard evaluation results of several new substances previously assessed. (Read more)
South Korea Publishes English Leaflet for Implementation of New MSDS Rules (March 31st, 2021)
It’s been almost three months since South Korea implemented the new MSDS rules on January 16, 2021. KOSHA recently published an English leaflet illustrating the detailed requirements on submission of MSDS and CBI non-disclosure application. Click here to download the English leaflet. (CL news)
Japan
Japan MHLW Adds 192 Existing Chemical Substances under ISHL (June 25th, 2021)
The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) published on the official gazette 192 chemical substances as existing chemical substances under the Industrial Safety and Health Law (ISHL). The substances were assigned with ISHL numbers from 29244 to 29435. Since these chemical substances are regarded as existing chemicals now, the manufactures and importers of such substances will no longer need to notify them as new chemical substances under ISHL. (CL news)
