Recently, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment of the Republic of Korea issued Public Notice No. 2026-103, partially amending the Public Notice on Existing Chemical Substances, which entered into force on the date of its promulgation. This amendment clarifies the criteria for the identification of existing chemical substances:

——Pursuant to Article 2(3)(a) of the Act on Registration and Evaluation, etc. of Chemicals (hereinafter referred to as the "K-REACH Act"), chemical substances that were circulated in the Republic of Korea prior to 2 February 1991 are classified as existing chemical substances (Annex 1).
——Pursuant to Article 2(3)(b) of the K-REACH Act, chemical substances that have undergone hazard review under the former Toxic Chemicals Control Act are deemed existing chemical substances (Annex 2); in addition, any chemical substance that has completed hazard review and has been publicly notified as a toxic chemical substance under the former Act shall also be deemed an existing chemical substance.
——The following four categories of substances shall be deemed existing chemical substances:
1. Hydrates or anhydrides of existing chemical substances;
2. Reaction products composed of two or more components, all of which are existing chemical substances, where the separation of each component within the reaction product is technically difficult and the reaction product itself is circulated or handled on the market;
3. Constituent isomers of a multi-constituent substance publicly notified as an existing chemical substance;
4. Other chemical substances falling under Annex 3. 

Notably, this amendment establishes for the first time a periodic review mechanism. Pursuant to Article 4, the Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment shall review the appropriateness of this Public Notice every three years from the baseline date of 1 July 2026 (by 30 June of every third year), and take measures for improvement, among others. This mechanism is designed to ensure that chemical substance management policies keep pace with the times and adapt to evolving scientific understanding and industrial needs.

Update the Korea Existing Chemicals List (KECL)-Announcement No. 2026

Brazil List of Controlled Chemicals (Portaria MJSP No. 204/2022) was issued by the Brazilian Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) on October 21, 2022, replacing Portaria No. 240/2019. It regulates the Federal Police's control over precursor chemicals that can be used in the illicit manufacture of drugs. The list classifies 145 controlled chemicals into seven control categories (Lista I through Lista VII), including drug precursors, solvents, controlled pharmaceuticals, acids, bases, reagents, and other controlled chemicals. Any individual or entity engaged in the production, import, export, transportation, storage, sale, or use of controlled chemicals must obtain authorization from the Brazilian Federal Police and comply with strict record-keeping, transaction reporting, and secure storage requirements. Export of Lista VII substances to Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru requires additional approval. The list also specifies minimum control concentrations and quantity thresholds for different categories of chemicals; for example, Lista IV acids are controlled from a concentration of 10% upwards, while Lista II solvents are controlled at any concentration.

Brazil List of Controlled Chemicals

Recently, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan announced that, as per the provisions of the Industrial Safety and Health Act (ISHA), 169 chemical substances published on June 26, 2026, have been added to the Japan ISHA-Newly Announced Chemical Substances. These newly added chemicals primarily include substances known to be used in the workplace and potentially impacting worker health.
The update from the Ministry provides detailed information including the names of the chemicals, official gazette numbers, CAS numbers, chemical structural formulas, and classification codes, enabling businesses and research institutions to more accurately identify and manage these substances.

169 substances were added to the Japan ISHA-Newly Announced Chemical Substances

On June 17, 2026, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (MHLW) issued an update notice to revise the name of Substance No. 1667 (MITI No.: 7-4025) in the list of newly notified chemical substances published on or after April 1, 2011.

Revision to the Name of One Newly Notified Chemical Substance (notified by April 1,2011) under Japan CSCL

On June 17, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan has released an update notice that includes a CAS number to the list of newly announced chemical substances prior to March 31, 2011, with the number of substance groups remaining unchanged (7,413).

A CAS number was added to the Japan CSCL Newly Announced Chemical Substances (notified by March 31,2011)

On June 17, 2026, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (MHLW) issued an update notice, adding 40 confirmed corresponding CAS numbers to the list of (Canceled) Priority Assessment Chemical Substances under Japan’s Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL).

40 CAS numbers were added to Japan CSCL (Canceled) Priority Assessment Chemical Substances

On June 17, 2026, the Ministerial Ordinance Specifying Chemicals Based on the Enforcement Order of the Chemical Substances Control Law, jointly issued by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Ministry of the Environment, officially entered into force.
This revision updates the List of Class I Specified Chemical Substances under Japan’s CSCL, with the adjustments detailed below:
1. Entries 37, 38 and 39 in the original list are renumbered sequentially to Entries 38, 39 and 40 respectively.
2. A new dedicated Entry 37 is added to regulate perfluorohexane-1-sulfonic acid-related compounds. This entry covers a total of 117 controlled chemical substances corresponding to 121 CAS Registry Numbers.

117 Substances (121 CAS numbers) were added to the Japan CSCL-Class I Specified Chemical Substances

The Existing and New Chemical Substances Inventory (ENCS) of Japan has been updated to the latest version, incorporating updates from the official announcements made on June 17, 2026.

Substances were added to the Japan Existing and New Chemical Substances Inventory (ENCS)-(as of Jun 17, 2026)

Recently, the Australian Government issued a notice stating that four chemical substances have been granted Commercial Assessment Authorisations pursuant to Section 58 of the Industrial Chemicals Act 2019. Relevant enterprises may import or manufacture the corresponding chemicals for commercial assessment purposes within the authorisation validity period.
Waste plastics, pyrolyzed, C5-55 fraction (Validity Period: 9 October 2024 – 8 October 2028)
Tires, wastes, pyrolyzed, C5-70 oil fraction (Validity Period: 9 October 2024 – 8 October 2028)
Biheteromonocycle, 1,1’-dimethyl-, chloride (1:2) (Validity Period: 26 February 2025 – 30 June 2026)
Hexanedioic acid, polymer with 1,4-butanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, α-hydro-ω-hydroxypoly[oxy(methyl-1,2-ethanediyl)] and 1,1′-methylenebis[4-isocyanatobenzene] (Validity Period: 24 February 2026 – 24 February 2028)

4 new commercial evaluation authorisations was added to the Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals (AIIC)-Jun 26, 2026

In accordance with the provisions of the Regulations on the Administration of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and the Measures for the Scheduling of Non-Medicinal Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, the Ministry of Public Security, the National Health Commission, and the National Medical Products Administration jointly issued an announcement on June 17, 2026, to include 16 substances, including difluoroetizolam, in the Catalogue of Non-Medicinal Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, effective July 1, 2026.

Note: The scheduling of tiletamine (CAS: 14176-49-9) under this announcement excludes veterinary anesthetic preparations containing tiletamine that have been approved for marketing within the territory of China.

Update History