Chemical Regulatory Updates in Asia-Pacific Region

🇨🇳Chinese Mainland

China MEE Adds 22 Chemical Substances into IECSC

On July 19, 2022, the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) published a notice, announcing that 22 substances were included into the Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances (IECSC). These 22 substances were manufactured in or imported into China before October 15, 2003, which fulfilled the supplementation criteria but missed the previous supplementation window. (Read More)

China Seeks Information on 3 Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

On July 20, 2022, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) issued a circular to solicit information concerning three persistent organic pollutants (POPs), i.e., Dechlorane Plus, UV-328, and methoxychlor. Information needed includes the manufacture, use, import, export of such POPs within the territory of China, as well as their possible alternatives or alternative techniques. Stakehonders are welcome to provide the MEE with relevant information before August 20, 2022. (Read More)

Updated FAQs for China New Chemical Substance Registration

With the Measures for the Environmental Management Registration of New Chemical Substances1 (a.k.a. MEE Order No.12) in effect, the Solid Waste and Chemical Management Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (SCC-MEE) has released a series of FAQs to help enterprises fulfill their obligations under the Measures. The fourth batch of 15 FAQs were recently published on June 30. (Read More)

China Consults on Over 400 Industrial Standards

On July 1, 2022, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued a notice consulting on 338 industrial standards and 98 standards for standard samples. These draft standards can be accessed on the official website and are open for feedback until August 1, 2022. (Read More)

China’s Draft Law on Safety of Hazardous Chemicals to Be Submitted for Deliberation

On July 14, 2022, China State Council issued a notice to elaborate its legislative work plan for 2022, which urges various departments to arrange legislative work in a scientific and rational manner. According to the notice, the Law on Safety of Hazardous Chemicals, which establishes a hazardous chemicals information management system and implements electronic identification and whole life cycle information management of hazardous chemicals, is ready for the first reading at the NPC Standing Committee. (Read More)

China Relaxes Environmental Law Enforcement to Boost Economic Recovery

On July 19, 2022, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) published the current situation, major methods and further requirements for environmental law enforcement in China, as well as the efforts made in relaxing environmental law enforcement, to create an enabling policy environment for economic recovery. (Read More)

China Solicits Public Proposals for Priority Chemical Substances Subject to Environmental Risk Assessment

On July 20, 2022, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) issued a notice to solicit public proposals for the first batch of priority chemical substances subject to environmental risk assessment as part of the country’s efforts to promote the control of new pollutants in China. (Read More)

China Receives Conformity Assessments for 21,933 Products under China RoHS 2

On July 20, 2022, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued a circular to make public the statistics on the conformity assessments for electrical and electronic products (EEPs). As of June 30, 2022, the MIIT had received 14,631 conformity assessments involving 21,933 products, which were submitted via the RoHS public service platform by 1, 242 enterprises, with an increase of 3,513 conformity assessments since July 31, 2021. (Read More)

China to Issue Standard for Anti-fingerprint Coatings

Recently, the draft group standard ‘HG/T xxxx-xxxx Anti-fingerprint coatings’, which specifies the terms and definitions, test methods, inspection rules, marks, packaging and storage, etc. of anti-fingerprint coatings, has completed the internal discussions. The Draft will be issued for public comments and a review meeting will be held by the National Technical Committee on Paints & Pigments of Standardization Administration of China. It is expected to be finalized and published by the end of 2022. (Read More)

🇯🇵Japan

Japan to Ban 56 PFOA-related Compounds Under CSCL

On July 7, 2022, the Central Environment Council under Japanese Ministry of Economy issued a notice that 56 perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)-related compounds will be designated as Class I Specified Chemical Substances controlled under Chemical Substance Control Law (CSCL) after the public consultation in March 2022 and 4 rounds of discussions within the Council afterwards. (Read More)

Japan Updates CAS Numbers for Class I and II substances Under PRTR

On July 26, 2022, the Japanese National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) updated the List of CAS numbers for the Class I and Class II substances controlled under the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) Law. The amendments are for the CAS numbers of substances with Administrative No. 88, 132, 257, 652 and 666. (Read More)

Japan Publishes SDS Guidance for New ISHL Requirements

The Japan Chemical Industry Association (JCIA) recently published a guidance to assist industry in compilating SDSs according to the new requirements under the revised ISHL (Read More). The guidance, although not an official regulation, is considered of high value for reference since it was prepared in in-depth cooperation with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW). For multi-constituent substances, illustrative examples of how Section 3 and Section 15 could look are given in the guidance. (Read More)

🇰🇷South Korea

10 FAQs on MSDS Submission Under Korea OSHA

We selected 10 FAQs to address some problems encountered in submitting MSDS in South Korea to facilitate your understanding of the compliance with the MSDS obligations set forth by K-OSHA. We will keep updating new FAQs. Please stay tuned to get the updates. (Read more)

5 FAQs on CBI Non-Disclosure Application Under Korea OSHA

We selected 5 FAQs to address some problems encountered in applying for CBI protection in South Korea to facilitate your understanding of the compliance with the MSDS obligations set forth by K-OSHA. We will keep updating new FAQs. Please stay tuned to get the updates. (Read more)

South Korea Consults on Handling Standards for 360 Hazardous Chemicals

On July 21, 2022, South Korea’s National Institute of Chemical Safety (NICS) consulted on the draft amendments to the Regulation on Specific Handling Standards for Hazardous Chemicals. The handling standards for each hazardous chemical is stipulated in the Annex of NICS Announcement No.2022-77, which consists of 1147 items (360 more than its 2018 version). One item is for one hazardous chemical, detailing the chemical’s name and CAS number (if any), given number (if any), and the corresponding handling criteria, etc. Any comments are welcome before August 10, 2022. (Read More)

South Korea Publishes Guideline for Classification and Labeling of Hazardous Substances in Mixtures

South Korea’s National Institute of Environmental Research (Nier) has published a guideline¹ to the classification of hazardous substances in mixtures. The guideline explains classification and labelling regulations under both K-REACH and the Chemical Control Act (CCA). Nier also published a leaflet² for enterprises outlining classification and marking methods for hazardous substances. (see here and here)

🇦🇺Australia

Inventory Update: Revocation of 6 CBI Approvals and Restoration of 1 Substance in the AIIC

On July 14, 2022, the Australian Government published two notices to declare some changes of the Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals (AIIC). According to Notice I, Australia revoked CBI approvals for the proper names of 6 industrial chemicals that were listed into AIIC in June and July of 2022. According to Notice 2, the term of the AIIC listing for a chemical has now been restored to be consistent with the CAS number and chemical name for Oils, Callitris intratropica (CAS No. 187348-13-6) on July 13, 2022. (Read More)

Chemical Introduction in Australia: Transitional Period for NICNAS Exemptions Expires on August 31, 2022

Speaking at ChemCon held on June 23, 2022, Nick Zovko from Chemistry Australia emphasized that the transitional period for exemptions that were granted under the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) will expire on August 31 of 2022 and it won’t be extended. That is to say, from September 1, 2022, enterprises cannot manufacture or import industrial chemicals under any of the NICNAS exemptions. Relevant enterprises need to categorize the manufactured/imported industrial chemicals into 1 of the 5 introduction categories under the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) and comply with the corresponding obligations. (Read More)

🇮🇳India

India Consults on Draft Revisions to ‘Code of Safety’ for Acetone and Acetaldehyde

In June 2022, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) released draft revisions to two standards to seek public comments, i.e., IS 7445: XXXX Acetone Code of Safety and IS 14518: XXXX Acetaldehyde – Code of Safety. Public comments are welcome before August 15, 2022, for acetone and before August 21, 2022, for acetaldehyde. (Read More)

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