The China Catalogue of Highly Toxic Substances was issued by the Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China on June 10, 2003 (Wei Fa Jian Fa [2003] No. 142) in accordance with the Law on Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases and the Regulations on Labor Protection in Workplaces Using Toxic Articles. The directory lists a total of 54 highly toxic substances, including benzene, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, chlorine, phosgene, mercury, cadmium and its compounds, acrylonitrile, formaldehyde, TDI, hydrogen fluoride, and yellow phosphorus. The state implements special management for the use of highly toxic substances in workplaces, and employers must adopt effective protective measures to prevent occupational poisoning accidents.

China Catalogue of Highly Toxic Substances is available

To implement the guiding principles of the Opinions of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council on Comprehensively Strengthening Work Safety in Relation to Hazardous Chemicals (Ting Zi [2020] No. 3) and the Implementation Plan of the Shenzhen Municipal Safety Management Committee on Comprehensively Strengthening Work Safety in Relation to Hazardous Chemicals (Shen'an [2021] No. 5), and to strengthen the safety management of hazardous chemicals in Shenzhen, the Municipal Emergency Management Bureau organized the revision of the Shenzhen Catalogue of Prohibited, Restricted and Controlled Hazardous Chemicals (2022 Edition). The Catalogue was issued on March 29, 2022 and, upon deliberation and approval by the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, took effect on June 1, 2022, with a validity period of five years.

The Catalogue applies tiered, category-based management and control over hazardous chemicals, comprising 82 substances prohibited throughout the city, 614 subject to restriction and control in urban core areas, and 958 subject to restriction and control in non-urban core areas.

The Catalogue (2027 Edition) is currently under revision. A draft for public comments was released in August 2026, and the new edition is expected to be issued and implemented in 2027.

China, Guangzhou List of Hazardous Chemicals Prohibited, Restricted and Controlled is available!

On September 22, 2026, the Ministry of Commerce and four other departments issued the Announcement on Adjusting the Catalogue of Precursor Chemicals for Export to Specific Countries (Regions).

To further strengthen the administration of precursor chemical exports, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Emergency Management, the General Administration of Customs, and the National Medical Products Administration have decided, in accordance with the Interim Provisions on the Administration of the Export of Precursor Chemicals to Specific Countries (Regions), to adjust the Catalogue by adding two substances, including methyl 4-oxo-1-phenethylpiperidine-3-carboxylate and Ethyl 4-oxo-1-phenethylpiperidine-3-carboxylate hydrochloride, to Part I.

As of the date of this announcement, exports of the chemicals listed in Part I to the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and exports of the chemicals listed in Part II to Myanmar, Laos, and Afghanistan, shall be subject to licensing requirements under the Interim Provisions. No license is required for exports to other countries (regions).

Added substances:
methyl 4-oxo-1-phenethylpiperidine-3-carboxylate
Ethyl 4-oxo-1-phenethylpiperidine-3-carboxylate hydrochloride

2 substances were added to the China Catalogue of Precursor Chemicals Exported by China to Specific Countries (Regions)

EU CoRAP List of Substances is a triennial, rolling substance evaluation plan managed by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) pursuant to Articles 44 and 45 of the REACH Regulation (EC No 1907/2006). The list aims to identify substances for which existing data are insufficient to rule out risks to human health or the environment, through Member State-led risk assessments. ECHA updates the plan annually at the beginning of each year (usually in the first quarter), rolling forward the evaluation schedule for subsequent years and adding new substances. Inclusion in CoRAP means that a substance has entered the priority regulatory evaluation pipeline, companies are required to cooperate by providing supplementary data during the evaluation process and should monitor potential follow-up regulatory measures (such as CLH, SVHC identification, restriction, or authorisation) to ensure ongoing compliance.

EU CoRAP List of Substances is available

EU Assessment of Regulatory Needs List(Assessment of Regulatory Needs, ARN), carried out by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), is an ongoing, rolling, and informal assessment process. It aims to assist EU competent authorities in determining what regulatory risk management measures—if any—should be applied to a substance (or group of substances), or whether no further regulatory action is needed at the EU level. The assessment is voluntary in nature; its conclusions do not themselves create any legal obligations or compliance duties. Only when the assessment conclusions trigger subsequent formal regulatory procedures (such as harmonised classification and labelling (CLH), identification of a substance as a Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC) and its inclusion in the Authorisation List, restriction measures, or other relevant regulatory processes) and the relevant decisions enter into force, will companies incur corresponding compliance obligations.

EU Assessment of Regulatory Needs List is available

On September 15, 2026, the Australian government issued a notification to update the Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals, in accordance with Section 83 of the Industrial Chemicals Act 2019, with the addition of one chemical substance.
Benzene, 1,1′-oxybis-, tetrapropylene derivs., sulfonated, sodium salts (CAS Number: 119345-04-9)

A substance was added to the Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals (AIIC)

Canada Explosives Regulations, 2013 (Restricted Components) was issued by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) on June 3, 2022, amending Part 20 of the original Explosives Regulations, 2013. It identifies a small number of precursors with high abuse potential to prevent the homemade manufacture of explosives, restricts the sale of these components, and sets out requirements for their sale and storage. The list is classified into Tier 1, 2, and 3, with each substance subject to a concentration threshold. Substances are regulated when they fall within the specified threshold range; those below the threshold are not subject to this control.

Canada Explosives Regulations, 2013 (Restricted Components) is available

The New Zealand Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has announced that the New Zealand Inventory of Chemicals (NZIoC) has been updated to the March 2026 edition. This update adds 86 new chemical substances and revises 12 existing entries. The full updated listing and related files are now available for download on the EPA website.

The NZIoC is a foundational inventory for managing hazardous chemicals in New Zealand. Under most group standards, every hazardous component of a product must, in principle, be listed on the inventory; if a product contains a component that is not listed, businesses must notify the EPA before using it. Users can search the inventory by chemical name or CAS number to confirm whether a substance is listed and to check its approval status.

86 substances were added to the New Zealand Inventory of Chemicals (NZIoC)

On September 8, 2026, the Australian government issued a notification to update the Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals, in accordance with Section 83 of the Industrial Chemicals Act 2019, with the addition of one chemical substance.
1-Propene, polymer with ethene, maleated, 2-[[2-hydroxy-3-(carbopolycyclyloxy)propyl]heteromonocyclyl]ethyl imide

Hongkong Control of Chemicals Ordinance (Cap. 145) was enacted in 1975 and comprehensively revised in 1994. It is a dedicated piece of legislation established by Hong Kong to implement the 1988 United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. The Ordinance controls chemicals related to the manufacture of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances, including mainly the three acetylating agents listed in Schedule 1, the major precursor chemicals listed in Schedule 2 (such as ephedrine, ergotamine, 1-phenyl-2-propanone, phenylacetic acid, and safrole), and the chemicals listed in Schedule 3 (such as methyl ethyl ketone, toluene, and diethyl ether). Schedule 3 also specifies certain destination countries, and licensing control applies only when these chemicals are exported to the countries listed therein.

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