Panama Proposes to Adopt UN GHS Seventh Revision as Mandatory Chemical Classification and Labeling Regulation

On June 10, 2026, the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI) and the General Directorate of Standards and Industrial Technology (DGNTI) of Panama submitted a notification (G/TBT/N/PAN/162) to the WTO Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade, proposing to incorporate the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) Seventh Revision into the country's mandatory technical regulations. The notification has entered a 60-day comment period, during which stakeholders may submit written comments to the Panamanian General Directorate of Standards and Industrial Technology before August 9, 2026. Based on the notification document, CIRS provides the following interpretation.

1. Scope of Application

Applicable to: Chemicals (pure substances or mixtures) produced, imported, stored, transported, sold, used, and consumed within the territory of Panama.
Not applicable to:

Maritime, air, and rail transport of dangerous goods (subject to the UN Orange Book)
Articles in the final consumer product stage, pharmaceuticals, food additives, cosmetics
Biological materials, radioactive materials, waste

2. Key Responsible Parties and Obligations

Responsible Party	Core Obligations
Manufacturers/Importers	Correctly classify hazards; provide Spanish-language labels and SDS; retain technical documentation
Distributors	Require suppliers to provide products with compliant labels; provide SDS to customers; do not alter label information without authorization
Employers	Ensure chemicals have labels and SDS; train employees; retain minimum label information when repackaging; gradually replace NFPA labels with GHS labels; provide personal protective equipment
Workers	Participate in training; report missing labels/SDS; use protective equipment; do not handle hazardous chemicals without training

3. Compliance Assessment and Inspection

Sector	Competent Authority	Inspection Focus
Agriculture	MIDA (Ministry of Agricultural Development)	Labeling and SDS of agricultural chemicals
Transport	BCBRP (Firefighters), ATTT (Transit Authority), ANA (Customs)	Verify consistency between UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (Orange Book) and GHS
Workplaces	MITRADEL (Ministry of Labor), MINSA (Ministry of Health), Ministry of Environment, Social Security Fund	Whether hazard classification and personal protective equipment match SDS declarations
Consumer Products	ACODECO (Consumer Protection Authority), MINSA, MIDA	Whether labels clearly indicate toxic hazards in Spanish and comply with GHS

4. Transition Period

Regulatory authorities: 2-year transition period to refine sector-specific regulatory frameworks
Manufacturers, importers, employers, and distributors: 3-year transition period to complete GHS updates for all labels and SDS

5. Other Provisions

The regulation shall be reviewed every 5 years or when significant new information emerges, by the technical committee
In case of conflict with Central American Technical Regulations (RTCA), the national regulation shall prevail

Recommendations for Enterprises

For enterprises involved in the production, trade, and logistics of chemicals in the Panamanian market, CIRS recommends paying close attention to the following points:

Assess compliance costs in advance: Redesigning labels, updating safety data sheets, and employee training will incur additional investment
Map supply chain impacts: Confirm whether upstream suppliers possess GHS compliance capabilities to avoid supply chain disruptions
Seize the comment window: If there are technical concerns, submit comments through formal channels before August 9
Monitor the effective timeline: Allow sufficient transition time to achieve full compliance

About CIRS

Established in 2007, the CIRS Group is a leading product safety and regulatory consulting firm. CIRS has branch offices in the Republic of Ireland, South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and China. CIRS Group utilizes its technical expertise, various resources, and international network to provide one-stop compliance services from regulatory compliance, laboratory testing, R&D to data services across multiple industries. This includes chemicals, cosmetics, food and food beverages, medical devices, agrochemical products, disinfectants, and consumer goods. It helps clients gain a competitive advantage by reducing business risks associated with regulatory affairs.

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If you need any assistance or have any questions, please get in touch with us via service@cirs-group.com.

Further information

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