2023 has been an eventful year for the chemical industry, marked by notable advancements and regulatory changes. Governments and international organizations have taken proactive measures to enhance safety and transparency in the industry, resulting in the implementation of new regulations and policies governing chemical management. This has led to a shift in compliance requirements for companies operating in the sector, presenting both challenges and opportunities for growth. Notably, Chinese mainland has made notable strides in prioritizing scientific, digital, and intelligent chemical management. Initiatives such as the chemical information investigation targeting thousands of chemicals and the adoption of UN GHS Rev.8 for chemical classification through the draft GB 30000.1 have showcased significant progress in the Chinese mainland. Additionally, Taiwan, China has upgraded the Environmental Protection Administration to a full-scale Ministry of Environment to respond to higher priority being placed on pressing environmental challenges. Several guidance documents on chemical registration, risk assessment and the use of predictive toxicology data have been published to facilitate the implementation of Taiwan REACH.

Throughout the Asia-Pacific region, numerous regulatory updates and hot topics have emerged, shaping the industry's landscape, including regulatory trends, upcoming changes, and key issues that are anticipated to arise in 2024 and beyond. Notably, Japan broadened and revamped the lists of mandatory SDS and label substances under the ISHL. South Korea will update the tonnage band for new chemical registration and simplify requirements for test data submission through K-REACH revision. India mandated the IUPAC name and CAS number for chemical import declarations and launched its chemical inventory platform. More countries, including the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, and New Zealand have also undergone several regulatory updates, further enhancing chemical safety and compliance within their respective jurisdictions.

2023 has been a landmark year with an initiative to revise the EU CLP and introduce new hazard classes for substances. REACH completeness check rules were revised based on latest REACH Annexes VII-XI information requirements. Meanwhile we saw the much-anticipated EU's PFAS restriction proposal. In the UK, the registration deadlines of UK REACH extended to 2026, 2028 and 2030 depending on tonnage band and hazard classification. In the United States, the EPA proposed amendments to the new chemicals procedural regulations under TSCA, dedicated to revise risk assessment methods and achieved notable advancements in the regulation of high-priority chemicals such as PFAS, PBT substances, and flame retardants. In Canada, the Bill S-5 become law mid-year, bringing substantial change to the Canadian CEPA.