On September 1, 2025, the Australian government released the September 2025 Industrial Chemicals Categorisation Guidelines, which includes an updated list of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation. The online Guide to categorizing chemical importation and manufacture has also been updated. These annual updates officially take effect on September 1 each year, aligning with the AICIS registration cycle.
List of Chemicals with High Hazards for Categorisation
Compared to the September 2024 version, 118 new chemicals have been added to the list of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation. The list also discloses their CAS numbers, AIIC listings, AICIS assessments, and their evaluation results in Australia’s Safe Work Australia Hazard Classification Information System, the U.S. National Toxicology Program Report on Carcinogens, the UNEP Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals list, and Japan’s Chemical Substance Control Law. This information is provided to assist introducers in assessing the risks of their introductions to human health and the environment.
Guide to Categorizing Chemical Importation and Manufacture
All introducers (individuals or businesses that import or manufacture industrial chemicals in Australia) can classify their chemical introductions according to the online Guide to categorizing chemical importation and manufacture (Version 3.4). The guide classifies chemical imports or manufacturing into one of the following categories: listed, exempted, reported, or assessed.
Step 0: Determine if the introduction falls under the listed category – Check whether the chemical being introduced is already on the list.
Step 1: Exclude exempted or reported categories – Some introductions are not eligible for exempted or reported categories.
Step 2: Introductions classified as exempted – Applies to chemicals posing a "very low" risk to human health and the environment.
Step 3: Introductions classified as reported – Applies to chemicals posing a "low" risk to human health and the environment.
Step 4: Assess human health risks
Step 5: Assess environmental risks
Step 6: Finalize the introduction category – After completing the classification, introducers must fulfill the corresponding legal obligations.
