On August 4, 2026, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) issued Announcement No. 40 of 2026 on the supplementation and amendment to the Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances in China (IECSC). Pursuant to the relevant provisions of the Measures for the Environmental Management Registration of New Chemical Substances (MEE Order No. 12) and its supporting documents, 4 eligible chemical substances and 482 registered new chemical substances have been included in the IECSC.
Annex 1 to the announcement covers four chemical substances, all of which were manufactured, sold, processed, used, or imported within the territory of China prior to the implementation of the new chemical substance environmental management registration system (i.e., before October 15, 2003). According to the announcement, these four substances correspond to the chemical substances proposed for inclusion in the IECSC as "the second batch of 2025 (14th batch in total)" publicly notified on August 11, 2025. Their substance identification information is fully disclosed, and no scope of environmental management for new uses has been designated.
Annex 2 to the announcement covers 482 chemical substances, all of which are new chemical substances that obtained regular notification registration certificates in accordance with the Measures for the Environmental Management of New Chemical Substances (former Ministry of Environmental Protection Order No. 7). These substances have been proactively included in the IECSC by the competent authority upon the expiry of five years from the effective date of MEE Order No. 12. With this inclusion, all new chemical substances that obtained regular notification registration certificates under Order No. 7 have now been fully listed in the IECSC.
