Chemicals law in China

While most countries implement the GHS with one (USA, Canada) or two (EU) standards, China has adopted ten different GB standards in this area.

The GHS regulations concerning safety data sheets are implemented in China by two national standards:

1. GB T 16483-2008 Safety data sheet for chemical products - content and order of sections

2. GB/T 17519-2013 Guidance on the compilation of safety data sheet for chemical products

The safety data sheet must be written in simplified Chinese.

Chemicals law in Japan

Two new standards were published in Japan in May 2019: JIS Z 7252 Classification of chemicals and JIS Z 7253 Hazard communication of chemicals -- Labelling and Safety Data Sheet (SDS). Both correspond to the 6th revision of the GHS.

Companies have a three-year transition period ending on 24th May 2022 to meet the new standards. Until then, the JIS Z 7252 from 2014 and the JIS Z 7253 from 2012 may be used.

Chemicals law in South Korea

The South Korean chemicals law is currently being updated. On 15th January 2019, the Korean Industrial Safety and Health Law (ISHL) was amended by Law No. 16272. The amended law came into force one year after its promulgation. The new rules for the creation of safety data sheets come into force two years after the announcement (on 16th January 2021). However, the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MoEL) grants an additional five-year transition period for adapting to the new regulations for safety data sheets for existing substances and mixtures that were already in circulation on the Korean market.On 1st April 2020, South Korea's National Institute for Environmental Research (NIER) announced updates to the GHS classification list through NIER Communication No. 2020-8, which came into effect immediately.

Chemicals law in Malaysia

The GHS regulation was implemented in Malaysia by the CLASS regulation from October 2013 and the Industry Code of Practice on Chemicals Classification and Hazard Communication (ICOP) from 16th April 2014. In 2019, a supplement to the ICOP containing legal classifications was published.

Chemicals law in the Philippines

The Philippines have implemented the provisions of the GHS regulation based on revision 4. Safety data sheets should be authored in English. The chemicals inventory PICCS (Philippine Inventory of Chemicals and Chemical Substances) lists existing chemical substances that are used, sold, distributed, imported, manufactured, stored, exported, treated or transported in the Philippines.

Chemicals law in Singapore

Singapore has currently implemented the GHS based on revision 4. An update to revision 7 is in progress. There is no inventory of chemicals in Singapore.

Chemicals law in Thailand

Thailand has implemented the GHS regulation based on revision 3. There are two national chemicals inventories in Thailand. Both inventories include chemical substances that were imported to Thailand and manufactured there. One of them is the Thailand Existing Chemicals Inventory (TECI) and is managed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The other is known as a preliminary chemicals inventory in Thailand and is managed by the Department of Industrial Works (DIW). Both inventories are valid.

 

Chemicals law in Vietnam

The Vietnamese implementation of the GHS regulation is based on various revisions. The first implementation took place in 2008. Most chemical products (substances and mixtures) now have to comply with the Vietnamese version of the GHS. There is a transition period for pesticides which lasts until mid-2020.

In October 2017, MOIT (Ministry of Industry and Trade) issued Decree 113/2017/ND-CP, which entered into force on 25th November 2017, with the intention of redesigning the framework for chemicals management in Vietnam. The aim of the revision was to simplify the procedures and to provide companies with clearer guidelines.

The VNECI (Vietnam New and Existing Chemicals Inventory) is the Vietnamese chemicals inventory, where chemicals that are to be imported to Vietnam must be registered.