On August 4, 2026, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) issued the Notice on Matters Concerning the Environmental Management Registration of New Chemical Substances. The Notice states that, to implement the Ecological and Environmental Code of the People's Republic of China and improve the environmental management registration system for new chemical substances, the processing of environmental management filing for new chemical substances will cease from August 15, 2026.
According to the Notice, from August 15, 2026, enterprises that need to process environmental management filing for new chemical substances shall submit to the competent department an application form for the environmental management registration of new chemical substances, together with supporting materials demonstrating that the corresponding circumstances meet the filing requirements under Order No. 12. The competent department will accept and approve the applications by referring to the simplified registration procedures and timelines. The registration system is expected to be updated accordingly.
According to official information, from August 15, 2026, the competent department will no longer accept new chemical substance registration applications submitted by enterprises outside China, nor applications for changes to registration certificate information. Only importers of new chemical substances located within China may act as applicants for new chemical substance registration.
These adjustments are primarily intended to align with the relevant provisions of the Ecological and Environmental Code. Article 650 of the Ecological and Environmental Code provides that "enterprises and public institutions that produce or import new chemical substances shall, before production or import, apply to the competent department of ecological environment under the State Council for the environmental management registration of new chemical substances." To align with the entry into force of the Ecological and Environmental Code on August 15, there will be no filing category in the future environmental management of new chemical substances, and overseas enterprises exporting new chemical substances to China will also be unable to act as registration applicants.
Currently, the Measures for the Environmental Management Registration of New Chemical Substances is under revision, and the public consultation has concluded. The competent department is now reviewing the relevant comments and suggestions received. According to the Draft for Public Comment, the revised Measures were planned to take effect on August 15, 2026, in step with the Ecological and Environmental Code. However, based on the wording of this Notice, the revised Measures and the supporting guidance documents may be officially issued and implemented after August 15.
CIRS Group will continue to track the progress of revisions and the implementation of the new chemical substance regulations, provide clients with professional regulatory interpretation, and offer compliance consulting and optimal solutions for new chemical substances in China.
Please stay tuned to the CIRS Group official website and ChemRadar for professional regulatory analysis and compliance advice. You are welcome to follow and attend the series of seminars on the revision of the new chemical substance regulations hosted by CIRS Group.
