Key Takeaways: On August 11, 2026, the European Commission proposed amending Annex II of the Toy Safety Directive (2009/48/EC), banning Lilial and lowering migration limits for Bisphenol A, Phenol, and BIT. Following public consultation ending October 10, 2026, the directive is expected to take effect in late 2026.

China’s MEE Announcement No. 40 of 2026 added 486 substances to the Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances in China (IECSC), including 482 previously under Order No. 7 regular registration. While transitioning these chemicals off new-substance registration, roughly 40% remain subject to strict new-use management rules, necessitating immediate compliance verification.

South Korea's MCEE has opened a consultation until 15 April 2026 on a full rewrite of the hazardous chemical business regulation under the K-CCA.

On July 24, 2026, the European Commission published a draft delegated regulation proposing amendments to (EU) No 649/2012.

On July 17, 2026, OEHHA issued a notice adding four substances to Proposition 65.

In July 2026, South Korea's NICS issued an advance notice on a partial revision to the Hazard Review Results of Chemical Substances.

According to the latest WTO public documents, China has submitted a TBT notification for the Measures for the Environmental Management Registration of New Chemical Substances (Revised Draft for Public Comment) (hereinafter referred to as the "Measures (Revised Draft for Public Comment)"), incorporating it into the WTO Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) notification procedure. The notification number is G/TBT/N/CHN/1351/Rev.1, and the document date is July 1, 2026.

In this article, we will introduce the six major red lines for hazardous chemicals compliance that enterprises are particularly concerned about.

On July 8, 2026, MIIT opened a public consultation on mandatory TPU hazardous substance limits for eight chemicals.

On July 10, 2026, China's MOFCOM and GAC jointly imposed a temporary export prohibition on helium.