On September 17, 2025, the 22nd China International Chemical Industry Exhibition (ICIF China) grandly opened at the Shanghai New International Expo Center. The exhibition, with the theme of "Walking towards the New, Seeking a New Chapter", gathered tens of thousands of products and advanced technologies from the upstream and downstream of the energy and petrochemical industry chain.
With the rapid development of the global economy, sustainable development models have become an important strategic direction for governments around the world, and chemical regulation efforts have also been continuously strengthened. To assist enterprises in addressing this challenge, ChemChina held the "5th Global Chemical Trade Access Regulatory Requirements and Response Strategies" seminar on September 17th at the same time as the exhibition. This seminar focuses on core issues such as the EU REACH regulation, chemical regulations and regulatory policies in Southeast Asia and China. Through policy interpretation, technical discussions, and case sharing, it helps companies understand the latest requirements and dynamic changes in global chemical regulations, and assists companies in reducing trade risks under increasingly strict regulatory situations.
Liang Minyan, Chemical Compliance Division, China Chemical Industry Information Center
May 31, 2018 is the final registration buffer deadline for REACH. Starting from 2019, the EU has shifted its focus to evaluation, and ECHA plans to gradually complete the evaluation of registered substances weighing 1-10 tons and over 100 tons by December 31, 2027. From the submitted REACH registration files, it can be seen that intermediate substances account for a relatively high proportion and are worthy of attention from enterprises. In April 2025, the European Commission released a proposal to update the REACH regulation. This proposal makes significant adjustments to the original regulations and has a significant impact on the compliance costs of Chinese chemical companies exporting products to the European Union. Liang Minyan from the Compliance Division of China National Chemical Corporation provided a detailed interpretation from three aspects: the progress of REACH registration evaluation, response strategies for intermediate substance registration, and proposals for REACH regulatory updates.
Ren Yu, Chemical Compliance Division, China Chemical Industry Information Center
Chinese pharmaceutical and chemical companies are accelerating their overseas expansion, and Europe and America are no longer the only options. More and more companies are expanding their business to Southeast Asia and India, where the market is growing faster. So how to deal with the regulation of destination countries and regions is also an urgent issue that enterprises need to pay attention to. Ren Yu, from the Compliance Division of China National Chemical Corporation, introduced the chemical regulations and policies of several destination countries, including Thailand's Toxic Substances Act (current) and Chemical Substances Act (draft, to be implemented), the Philippines' Toxic Substances and Hazardous Waste and Nuclear Waste Control Act (current), Vietnam's Chemical Act (current), and India's Chemical Management and Safety Regulations (draft, to be implemented), as well as the latest developments.
Zhang Yanfang, Chemical Compliance Division, China Chemical Industry Information Center
In May 2022, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Action Plan for the Control of New Pollutants", which proposed control targets and action measures for new pollutants that are widely concerned at home and abroad, attracting widespread attention. The environmental management registration of new chemical substances is an important part of implementing the Action Plan for the Control of New Pollutants. Zhang Yanfang from the Compliance Department of China National Chemical Corporation introduced the key points of simple and routine registration for new chemical substances. Detailed interpretation and sharing were conducted from several aspects, including registration process, information requirements, data gap analysis, expert review points, and post registration management. And detailed introductions were given on the precautions, qualifications of testing institutions, and testing methods for intermediate uses that enterprises are more concerned about. She suggested that applicants involved in the production or import of new chemical substances should prepare an evaluation plan in advance according to regulatory requirements and enterprise needs, pay attention to the registration process and evaluation points, submit files and obtain registration certificates in a timely manner, and also ensure post registration management in accordance with the guidelines.
Ding Ran, Chemical Compliance Division, China Chemical Industry Information Center
Starting from 2024, first tier cities such as Shanghai and Beijing will gradually promote the informatization management of "one enterprise, one product, one code" for the entry and exit of hazardous chemicals and the loading and unloading of dangerous goods. They will focus on the full process management of hazardous chemicals according to the local enterprise type, especially the information and supply chain management of hazardous chemical entry and exit, in order to strengthen the information and business connection of each link. Ding Ran, from the Compliance Affairs Department of China National Chemical Corporation, shared information on hazardous chemical registration requirements, the generation of "one enterprise, one product, one code", and the implementation progress of "one enterprise, one product, one code" in various provinces and cities. Emphasis was placed on the implementation of "traceability codes" in Shanghai and Beijing, and in-depth analysis and solutions were provided for common problems encountered by enterprise representatives in practical operations.
On site seminar
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After the meeting, representatives of participating companies had detailed and in-depth exchanges with speakers on the individual issues they encountered when exporting their company's products to destination countries. The representative provided feedback that previously they only knew about the EU REACH regulation. Through this meeting, while deeply studying the REACH regulation, they also gained an understanding of China's new chemical substance registration regulations and relevant regulations in other destination countries. They will also prepare and respond in advance in the subsequent trade process to ensure that the risk of trade violations is reduced under the increasingly strict chemical regulatory situation.