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On April 20, 2026, Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) announced that six mercury-added lighting products would be regulated as 'Hazardous Substances' under the Environmental Protection and Management Act 1999 (EPMA). The policy update mandates a phased prohibition on the import, export, and manufacture of these specific mercury-added products, with regulatory deadlines taking effect on January 1, 2027, and January 1, 2028.
Background of the Regulatory Update
This regulatory change ensures Singapore's compliance with its international obligations under the Minamata Convention on Mercury. The phase-out targets specific products that were approved for restriction by the Parties during the fifth Conference of the Parties (COP-5) to the Convention in October 2023. The overarching goal is to protect human health and the environment from man-made emissions and releases of mercury compounds. The NEA opened a public consultation on these bans from 19 August 2024 to 19 September 2024 (read more), and recently issued a circular to announce the final decision.
Targeted Mercury-added Products
The policy mandates the phase-out of specific fluorescent lamps used for general lighting purposes based on their wattage and mercury content. The phase-out is structured into two stages:
Four Mercury-added Products: Effective January 1, 2027
From January 1, 2027, the import, export, and manufacture of the following four mercury-added products will be prohibited:
Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) exceeding 30 watts.
Compact fluorescent lamps with a non-integrated ballast (CFL.ni) of 30 watts or less, with a mercury content not exceeding 5 mg per lamp burner.
Linear fluorescent lamps (LFLs) using halophosphate phosphor:
40 watts or less, with a mercury content not exceeding 10 mg per lamp.
Exceeding 40 watts.
Halophosphate phosphor non-linear fluorescent lamps (NFLs), such as U-bend and circular lamps.
Two Mercury-added Products: Effective January 1, 2028
From January 1, 2028, the prohibition will apply to the import, export, and manufacture of the following two mercury-added products:
Linear fluorescent lamps (LFLs) using triband phosphor:
Under 60 watts with a mercury content not exceeding 5 mg per lamp.
60 watts or greater with a mercury content not exceeding 5 mg per lamp.
60 watts or greater with a mercury content exceeding 5 mg per lamp.
Triband phosphor non-linear fluorescent lamps (NFLs), such as U-bend and circular lamps.
The specific Harmonised System (HS) Codes and Product Codes of these mercury-added products are provided in the circular. Additionally, HS Codes and Product Codes for currently controlled items, such as cold cathode fluorescent lamps and external electrode fluorescent lamps for electronic displays, have been revised to provide greater clarity.
Compliance Requirements
To facilitate the transition, the NEA has implemented a depletion allowance for existing inventories. Stocks of these newly controlled mercury-added products that are imported before their respective phase-out dates (1 January 2027 or 1 January 2028) may continue to be sold and used locally until they are fully depleted.
