On April 28, 2025, the National Environment Agency (NEA) of Singapore announced through the World Trade Organization (WTO) the latest amendments to the Environmental Protection and Management Act (EPMA) of 1999. The regulations involved include the Environmental Protection and Management Act ((Amendment of Second Schedule) (No. 4) Order 2025 and the Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations 2025. These amendments place the highly toxic pesticides chlorpyrifos, paraquat, and paraquat salts, under strict control, aiming to fulfill international environmental treaty obligations and strengthen lifecycle management of high-risk chemicals.
Control scope: All concentrations and formulations are subject to the licensing system
Chlorpyrifos, paraquat and paraquat salts, regardless of concentration or formulation, will be listed in the EPMA Second Schedule and the Hazardous Substances Regulations as controlled substances.
List of involved products:
|
Chemical Name Identity |
CAS No. |
HS Code |
HS Description |
|
Chlorpyrifos |
2921-88-22 |
29333990 |
Other compounds with an unfused pyridine ring |
|
38089130 |
Insecticides not specified in subheading note 1 or 2 of chap 38 in aerosol Containers |
||
|
38089191 |
Other insecticides having deodorising function not specified in subheading note 1 or 2 of chap 38 |
||
|
38089199 |
Other insecticides not having deodorising function not specified in subheading note 1 or 2 of chap 38 |
||
|
38089990 |
Rodenticides & similar products that are not specified in subheading note 1 or 2 of Chap 38 |
||
|
38089311 |
Herbicides not specified in subheading note 1 or 2 of chap 38 in aerosol containers |
||
|
38089319 |
Herbicides not specified in subheading note 1 or 2 of chap 38 not in aerosol containers |
||
|
Paraquat; its salts |
4685-14-7 1910-42-5 27041-84-5 2074-59-2 |
29333930 |
Paraquat salts |
|
38089311 |
Herbicides not specified in subheading Note 1 or 2 of chap 38 in aerosol containers |
||
|
39089319 |
Herbicides not specified in subheading Note 1 or 2 of chap 38 not in aerosol containers |
After the new regulations take effect, importers, manufacturers, distributors, and users of these chemicals must apply to the NEA for a hazardous substances license, covering import, export, sale, manufacture, transportation, storage, and use activities.
Driven by international conventions
The amendments directly respond to scientific assessments from two major international environmental conventions:
- Rotterdam Convention: The Chemical Review Committee (CRC) determined that chlorpyrifos, paraquat and paraquat salts meet the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure control standards, and it is recommended to list them in Annex III at the 12th Conference of the Parties in May 2025.
- Stockholm Convention: The Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC) confirmed the high toxicity of chlorpyrifos to aquatic invertebrates and its potential adverse effects on mammals, recommending its inclusion in Annex A (elimination list), with specific exemptions allowed.
Regulatory mechanisms and health protection goals
NEA states that the licensing system will achieve three objectives:
- Dynamic monitoring: Real-time tracking of the import, export, circulation, and use of chemicals in Singapore;
- Risk prevention: Rapid implementation of usage restrictions or PIC procedures upon the official effect of the conventions;
- Compliance integration: Ensuring domestic regulations align with international obligations, providing a legal basis for the eventual phase-out of high-risk uses.
Implementation timetable
- Public consultation: Feedback received within 60 days from the announcement;
- Regulation enactment: Planned to be officially published in the Government Gazette in June 2025;
- Effective date: Scheduled for implementation in October 2025.
NEA emphasizes that this amendment marks a new phase in Singapore's chemical environmental management, aiming to balance agricultural production needs with ecological safety through the licensing system, and gradually promoting the substitution process for high-risk pesticides.
Further Information
