On 14 August 2026, the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) announced that its Executive Director will issue the next annual release of the Industrial Chemicals Categorisation Guidelines (the 2026 version), effective from 1 September 2026. The revisions cover additions, removals, and corrections to the List of Chemicals with High Hazard for Categorisation, an expansion of the information requirements for demonstrating the absence of developmental toxicity, and the consolidation of the definition of “chemical identity holder”, among other changes. Businesses introducing industrial chemicals into Australia should pay attention to changes in the categorisation outcomes and information requirements for the chemicals concerned.
Background of the Guidelines
AICIS is established and operates under the Australian Industrial Chemicals Act 2019. Before introducing an industrial chemical into Australia, manufacturers and importers of industrial chemicals (introducers) must categorise each introduction into one of the categories — listed, exempted, reported or assessed — and meet the compliance obligations corresponding to the category determined. The Industrial Chemicals Categorisation Guidelines, issued by the AICIS Executive Director, serve as the official technical basis for determining introduction categories and are updated annually. In addition, the AICIS website hosts a step-by-step online Guide to categorising your chemical importation and manufacture, which explains the categorisation process in plain language drawing on the Categorisation Guidelines, the Industrial Chemicals Act 2019 and the Industrial Chemicals (General) Rules 2019, and is accompanied by self-service decision tools; it is an online supporting resource distinct from the formal guideline document (direct link: https://www.industrialchemicals.gov.au/help-and-guides/guide-categorising-your-chemical-importation-and-manufacture).
Key revisions
According to the announcement of revision details published by AICIS, the main changes in the 2026 Industrial Chemicals Categorisation Guidelines include:
1. Updates to the list of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation: the list will add 293 new entries, based on updates to external sources and recent AICIS assessments or evaluations; update 122 existing entries to indicate that the chemicals concerned have also been added to another source of the list, or to update their hazard information; correct the CAS number for bis(pentachlorophenyl) carbonate to 7497-08-7; and remove 1,1,1-trichloroethane (CAS number 71-55-6) and fluoro(triphenyl)stannane (CAS number 379-52-5), as they no longer appear in the source documents. The chemical names, CAS numbers, hazard characteristics and information sources of the added and updated entries have been published by AICIS in an attachment, against which businesses can check item by item.
In addition, AICIS corrected an erroneous statement from the consultation stage: the Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) entry was originally described as an “addition” by mistake; it is in fact an “update”, with its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) carcinogenicity group updated from 2A to 1.
2. Expanded information requirements for demonstrating the absence of developmental toxicity: 5 chemicals, all being 1H-benzotriazole and its monosubstituted derivatives, will be added to part 6.5.2 of the Guidelines (information required to demonstrate the absence of developmental toxicity), as follows:
|
Chemical Name |
CAS registry number |
|
1H-Benzotriazole, 6-chloro- |
94-97-3 |
|
1H-Benzotriazole |
95-14-7 |
|
1H-Benzotriazole, 6-methyl- |
136-85-6 |
|
1H-Benzotriazole, 6(or 7)-methyl- |
293-85-43-1 |
|
1H-Benzotriazole, 7-methyl- |
298-78-31-7 |
Following the addition, introducers may need to check that their introductions are not a salt of the specified chemicals in order to demonstrate the absence of the developmental toxicity hazard characteristic. Salts meeting either of the following conditions are not subject to this requirement: the salt is a high molecular weight polymer with low levels of low molecular weight species; or the molecular weight of the salt is greater than or equal to 1,000 g/mol. It should be noted that the original consultation material stated that “Introducers may need to check that their introductions are not a salt or ester of the specified chemicals during the categorisation process.” The word “ester” in that sentence was a typographical error, which AICIS has corrected, retaining “not a salt” only.
3. Consolidated definition of “chemical identity holder”: following stakeholder feedback, AICIS altered the wording of the definition to improve clarity. The new single definition will replace the 2 existing definitions in the current Guidelines and appears in part 2.2.1 of the Guidelines, effective from September 2026: “Chemical identity holder, in relation to an industrial chemical, means a person who knows information relating to the chemical identity of the industrial chemical.” The definition applies specifically to the relevant reporting provisions of Chapter 3 of the Industrial Chemicals (General) Rules 2019; where the introducer does not know the relevant chemical identity information, the chemical identity holder must provide it.
4. Other changes: updating the links in the Guidelines and making the minor editorial changes foreshadowed in the public consultation.
Public consultation and official response
The revisions arise from the public consultation AICIS conducted on the proposed changes from 13 November 2025 to 28 January 2026, which received 7 submissions in total. In the announcement of revision details, AICIS responded to the main submissions one by one, covering matters such as the positioning of the list (for example, whether it creates a “uniquely Australian classification framework” not internationally aligned), whether virus entries can be included in the list, the scientific basis of the salt-checking requirement for benzotriazoles, and the wording of the new “chemical identity holder” definition. Interested businesses may refer to the announcement for the full submissions and responses.
Commencement arrangements and accompanying updates
The new Guidelines take effect on 1 September 2026; before that date, introducers should continue to categorise their introductions under the current version. The step-by-step online guide on the AICIS website will also be updated from 1 September to reflect the changes in the new Guidelines, and introducers can use the online guide and its self-service decision tools to complete the determination of their introduction categories step by step.
ChemRadar Insights
This round of adjustments to the list of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation involves additions, updates, removals and a CAS number correction, and part 6.5.2 introduces a new salt-checking requirement. Businesses introducing industrial chemicals into Australia are advised to focus on the following:
- Complete the categorisation of current introductions under the existing version before the new Guidelines take effect;
- After 1 September, check the updated list of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation promptly to confirm whether the chemicals they introduce have been newly added or their existing entries updated, take note of the CAS number correction and entry removals, and where necessary reassess the introduction category and information requirements;
- Businesses introducing 1H-benzotriazole, its monosubstituted derivatives or their salts should pay attention to the salt-checking requirement and the exception criteria in part 6.5.2, and assess in advance the availability of the information required to demonstrate the absence of developmental toxicity;
- Parties involved in reporting chemical identity information should note the application of the reporting obligations under Chapter 3 of the Industrial Chemicals (General) Rules 2019 once the consolidated definition takes effect.
