The Ministry of Environment of South Korea recently submitted a notification to the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding the revision of the Designation of Restricted Substance and Prohibited Substance. This revision aims to strengthen the restrictions on the use of lead and its compounds as well as methylene chloride and its mixtures, based on the hazard assessment under the Chemical Substances Registration and Evaluation Act and international regulatory trends, to protect human health and safety. WTO member countries can comment on this revision before January 13, 2025.

In 2018, the EU's RoHS Directive assessment project Pack15 proposed adding seven substances, including TBBP-A and MCCPs, to the RoHS Directive's restricted list. On December 10, 2024, the EU abandoned its plan to restrict Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBP-A) and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) under the RoHS Directive.

The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has fully added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to its Substances of Very High Concern (ZZS) list. This action emphasizes the need for Dutch companies to significantly reduce PFAS use and emissions.

This article compiles the chemical regulation updates for November in Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

On December 3, 2024, the Ministry of Commerce of China announced that it will strengthen the control on dual-use items exported to the United States in order to safeguard the national security and interests, and to fulfill international non-proliferation obligations. The announcement takes effect immediately from the date of publication.

The UA CLP will come into effect six months after its publication, on November 15 2024. Products that have been placed on the market before November 15, 2024, even if they do not comply with current technical regulations, can continue to maintain their status until November 14, 2025, which is a one-year transition period.

On November 11, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the Ministry of the Environment (MOE), and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) of Japan jointly announced the implementation of new notification procedures for low volume and small volume new chemical substances starting in 2025.

On November 12, 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to exempt the compound (Z)-1-chloro-2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HCFO-1224yd(Z), CAS number 111512-60-8) from being classified as a volatile organic compound (VOC) due to its minimal impact on tropospheric ozone formation. Public comments are welcome via https://www.regulations.gov/ until January 13, 2025.

The implementation of the Ukrainian REACH regulations marks an important step for Ukraine in aligning with EU chemical safety standards and also presents new compliance challenges for businesses. Companies need to closely monitor regulatory developments, take proactive measures, and ensure registration is completed within the specified timeframes to maintain trade activities in the Ukrainian market.

Under the Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL), enterprises shall report new chemical substances based on their annual production or import volume.