From July 1, 2026, methoxychlor, dechlorane plus, and UV-328 become regulated toxic chemical substances in Taiwan, after the Ministry of Environment (MOENV) amended the Categories and Management of Handling for Toxic Chemical Substances on April 27, 2026. The rule is a subsidiary instrument under the Toxic and Concerned Chemical Substances Control Act (TCCSCA). Operators that manufacture, import, use, or release these substances should check the new handling limits, prohibitions, and grace periods now.
All three are persistent, bioaccumulative industrial chemicals carried in Annex A of the Stockholm Convention for global phase-out. MOENV cited their resistance to environmental breakdown, their tendency to bioconcentrate, and their potential to travel through the food chain into ecosystems and human health as the basis for control, framing the designation as a step to keep Taiwan aligned with the Convention.
Methoxychlor and dechlorane plus are confined to research, testing, and educational use. UV-328, a benzotriazole ultraviolet absorber widely formulated into coatings, plastics, and sealants, is brought under classified handling with matching operational conditions. The same amendment also revises the prohibited-handling items for mercury, and tightens the existing rules on tetrachloroethylene, with transition periods set so that affected businesses can wind down non-compliant uses.
Companies handling any of these substances must secure the relevant handling permits, meet the record-keeping and release-prevention duties under TCCSCA, and plan product or process substitution before the grace periods expire.
