On January 14, 2025, the Solid Waste and Chemical Management Center (SCC) officially issued the "Notice on Submitting the Annual Activity Report for New Chemical Substances for 2024." CIRS Group respectfully reminds all enterprises registered with new chemical substances to ensure that the submission of the 2024 annual activity report by the designated deadline is incorporated into their New Year work plans.

The 42nd amendment of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code, issued by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), came into effect on January 1, 2025, with a transition period of one year. It will be mandatorily enforced starting January 1, 2026. This new revision includes additional UN numbers related to vehicles powered by lithium-ion batteries, lithium metal batteries, and sodium-ion batteries.

Recently, Chile has officially released its first national chemical inventory. This inventory was guided by the European Union's "REACH" regulations (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals). With its publication, Chile becomes the first country in Latin America to have a national chemical inventory. The inventory includes harmful substances for industrial use notified under Decree No. 57/2021, with an extended deadline until September 30, 2024.

On December 23, 2023, the Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change (MoEUCC) officially issued an amendment to the KKDIK regulations, extending the registration deadline. Recently, the MoEUCC has increased the administrative fees required for KKDIK official registration for 2025. Previously in 2023 and 2024, Turkey also increased its administrative fee.

The Catalogue officially came into effect on January 1, 2025.

On December 25, 2024, the National People's Congress released the Draft of the "Law on the Safety of Hazardous Chemicals" (hereinafter referred to as Draft) for public comment. This draft is more concise than the earlier version (hereinafter referred to as the Public Consultation Version). To help companies better understand the differences and similarities between the two versions, we have made a comprehensive analysis of the similarities and differences between this Draft and the Public Consultation Version

On December 25, 2024, the Solid Waste and Chemicals Management Technology Center released the "Frequently Asked Questions Series IX on Environmental Management Registration of New Chemical Substances," focusing on addressing questions related to the registration of polymers. CIRS Group provides some examples and suggestions for distinguishing cases involving the exclusion of cationic polymers and degradable or unstable polymers.

The Ministry of Environment of South Korea recently submitted a notification to the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding the revision of the Designation of Restricted Substances and Prohibited Substances. This revision aims to strengthen the restrictions on the use of lead and its compounds as well as methylene chloride and its mixtures, based on the hazard assessment under the Chemical Substances Registration and Evaluation Act and international regulatory trends, to protect human health and safety. WTO member countries can comment on this revision before January 13, 2025.

In 2018, the EU's RoHS Directive assessment project Pack15 proposed adding seven substances, including TBBP-A and MCCPs, to the RoHS Directive's restricted list. On December 10, 2024, the EU abandoned its plan to restrict Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBP-A) and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) under the RoHS Directive.

The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has fully added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to its Substances of Very High Concern (ZZS) list. This action emphasizes the need for Dutch companies to significantly reduce PFAS use and emissions.