Chinese authorities have published an update to the regulations for the classification and hazard communication of chemicals. This document is technically consistent with the United Nations "Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals" (GHS) Eighth revised edition (GHS 8). The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the Standardization Administration of China (SAC) issued the first part of the GB 30000 series, titled "Specifications for Classification and Labeling of Chemicals Part 1: General Rules" (GB 30000.1-2024) on July 24, 2024. This standard is set to replace the General Rules for Classification and Hazard Communication of Chemicals (GB 13690-2009), which generally follows GHS 4 and will come into effect on August 1, 2025.

On July 23, 2024, the Ukrainian government approved the Ukrainian Technical Regulation on Chemical Safety, modeled after EU REACH. This requires the registration of chemical substances produced or imported over one ton annually. The regulation becomes effective on January 23, 2025, six months after its approval.

On August 5, 2024, China's Ministry of Public Security and five other departments jointly issued a notice regarding the addition of seven substances to the Regulation on the Administration of Precursor Chemicals (henceforth managed as precursor chemicals). The specific substances include N-phenylpiperidin-4-amine, 1-N-Boc-4-(Phenylamino)piperidine, Norfentanyl, Cannabidiol, BMK glycidic acid and its esters, 3-oxo-2-phenylbutanoic acid and its esters, and PMK glycidic acid esters. The specific administration measures will take effect from September 1, 2024.

Recently, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) announced revisions to the import clearance procedures related to the Chemical Substances Control Law. The new regulations aim to streamline processes and enhance the management efficiency of imported chemical substances, and took effect from July 1, 2024. These revisions will replace the previous version issued on December 4, 2023, which became obsolete on June 30, 2024.

On July 10, 2024, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) introduced a draft rule to ban aerosol dusters containing over 18 milligrams of either 1,1-Difluoroethane (HFC-152a) or 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a). Pending CPSC Commission approval, this rule, scheduled for review on July 31, will take effect 30 days after final regulations are published, following public consultation.

The Act on the Registration and Evaluation of Chemicals (AREC) (known as K-REACH) is a crucial regulatory framework in South Korea aimed at ensuring the safe management of chemical substances. Under K-REACH, manufacturers and importers of chemical substances are required to register their chemicals with the Ministry of Environment (MoE) if they exceed certain manufacture or importation volumes. One of the critical stipulations of K-REACH concerns the tonnage bands for chemical registration. Specifically, enterprises dealing with existing chemical substances within the 100-1,000 tons per year range must complete their registration by December 31, 2024.

The 20th Meetings of the Stockholm Convention's POP Review Committee and the Rotterdam Convention's Chemical Review Committee are scheduled for September 23-27, 2024.

China issued a notice announcing the nationwide pilot of the "batch inspection" reform for the packaging of exported hazardous chemicals and dangerous goods.

Recently, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and Ministry of the Environment (MOE) jointly released the latest version of Japan's recommended Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) classification list on the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) website.

No.1 amendment to "Requirements of Concentration Limits for Certain Restricted Substances in Electrical and Electronic Products" will officially come into effect on January 1, 2026.