Chemical regulations in APAC products

Regulations on chemicals and product sustainability and safety are being prioritized across Asia-Pacific countries, with crucial legislation to target chemicals of concern. Alongside restricting the use of potentially hazardous substances, many APAC countries are also looking to enhance their Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes to get ever closer to achieving circularity. 

In this article, we highlight Australia, China, and Japan in transforming the product chemicals management landscape across Asia-Pacific. For a detailed breakdown of all regulatory updates in this region, watch our Global Outlook webinar.

Australia

During the last quarter of 2024, Australia remained focused on controlling the use and presence of hazardous chemicals, with the ultimate goal of protecting human health and the environment, and achieving a circular economy.
 

National Circular Economy Framework 

During an environment ministers meeting on 10 December 2024, details on the government’s newly-launched National Circular Economy Framework (NCEF) were cemented. The NCEF was designed to help the country double circularity by 2035.  

Under the NCEF, Australia would aim to: 

• Reduce the use of chemicals of concern in products 

• Identify and remove harmful chemicals that disrupt safe recycling and reuse practices
   

National Environmental Management Plan 

The National Environmental Management Plan (NEMP) is under revision for an early 2025 relaunch, reflecting new guidelines to control and prohibit PFAS, such as in drinking water.  

The updated plan also contributes to the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard (IChEMS), which will prohibit, restrict, or reduce three types of PFAS and over 500 related substances from 1 July 2025.
 

Dangerous Goods Code 

Australia’s Dangerous Goods Code establishes requirements for the transport of dangerous goods by road and rail. The National Transport Commission (NTC) is conducting the first comprehensive review of the Code in 15 years, with 12 discussion papers being published over the last 21 months.  

The papers focus on several aspects of the Code that need updating or improving, such as: 

• Outdated provisions which no longer accurately reflect modern industry practices or the latest technology 

• Gaps in safety requirements, such as chemical spills and tanker explosions 

• Alignment with international standards, such as those in the EU, China, and the US 

Any new updates to the Code are expected to be implemented by October 2026.

China

Much like Australia and other countries in the APAC region, China is pressing forward on safety and sustainability updates to its laws on hazardous chemicals.
 

Hazardous Chemical Safety Law 

On 25 December 2024, the Proposal of Hazardous Chemical Safety Law was opened for public consultation – closing 23 January 2025. 

If the proposal is adopted, the following changes would be implemented under the Law: 

• Importers into China would be required to provide chemical safety data sheets (SDS) in Chinese 

• Businesses producing and storing hazardous chemicals would need to establish a safety risk classification control system, conduct safety risk assessments, and take corresponding measures 

• Businesses producing and storing hazardous chemicals would need to establish a process safety management system for all their operations 

• Businesses producing hazardous chemicals that can be made into explosives would be required to report information related to their security personnel to the public security authority
   

RoHS2 standards incoming 

For any companies operating in and around China, the China Electronics Standardization Institute (CESI) has warned they will soon be liable to comply with upcoming updates to two standards covering hazardous substance labeling and restrictions in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE).  

A public consultation was concluded on 18 January 2025 to determine key provisions. The implementation timeline is as follows: 

• 1 April 2025: Labelling Requirements for Restricted Use of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Products 

• 1 January 2026: Amendment to Limit Requirements for Restricted Substances in Electrical and Electronic Products 

• 1 January 2026: Companies should “make full preparations” to implement the two standards by this date
   

Updates to chemical inventories 

At the end of 2024 and into 2025, China has made many updates to existing lists prohibiting or restricting hazardous chemical substances.  

• May 2024: China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) added 41 chemicals to the Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances in China (IECSC) 

• 14 October 2024: The MEE issues an Announcement on the Control Requirements for 8 Types of Mercury-Added Products and Dental Amalgams including Mercury Vacuum Pumps, which will prohibit companies from manufacturing, importing, and exporting specific products by 31 December 2025 

• November 2024: The MEE added 36 chemicals to the IECSC 

• 10 January 2025: the MEE opened a consultation to add seven chemicals to the IECSC

Japan

In Japan, chemical substances are continuing to be monitored and reclassified, urging businesses to protect workers from potentially harmful chemical exposure.
 

PFAS restrictions 

Mirroring the global focus on monitoring and restricting the use of PFAS, Japan designated multiple PFAS substances as Class I Specified Chemical Substances, creating a timeline of PFAS-related restrictions in the country.  

• 1 February 2024: PFHxS designated as Class I Specified Chemical Substances 

• 1 June 2024: Specified products containing PFHxS, its isomers and salts are banned 

• 10 September 2024: PFOA, its isomers and salts designated as a Class I Specified Chemical Substances 

• 10 January 2025: PFOA related substances designated as Class I Specified Chemical Substances 

• 10 January 2025: Imports of products containing PFOA, its isomers and salts, and PFOA related substances are banned 

• 3 December 2025: Phase out of 8:2 FTOH in the production of heptadeca fluorodecyl methacrylate 

• 31 December 2026: Phase out of PFOI in the production of perfluorooctyl bromide (PFOB) used in pharmaceutical products
   

Chemical Substance Control Law 

On 31 July 2024, 164 substances were announced to be regulated as general chemical substances under the Chemical Substance Control Law (CSCL). 

Consequently, any companies manufacturing or importing these substances is required to submit an annual report to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) between 1 April and 30 June. This report must include: 

• The amount being manufactured or imported 

• Its usage 

• Additional specified information, if the substance is being manufactured or imported above 1 ton per year