From May 1, 2026, China's first Dangerous Chemicals Safety Law officially took effect, replacing the Regulations on the Safety Management of Hazardous Chemicals implemented for over a decade. The law comprises 10 chapters and 127 articles covering the entire chain of safety management including planning, production, storage, use, operation, transport, and emergency response. Penalties were significantly increased, with fines up to 10 million yuan for units and 1 million yuan for individuals. On the same day, the Ministry of Commerce and General Administration of Customs suspended exports of ordinary industrial sulfuric acid and smelting by-product sulfuric acid through December 31, 2026. Only electronic-grade high-purity sulfuric acid for semiconductor and display panel cleaning and etching may be exported with special approval. The measure covers about 95% of China's sulfuric acid export volume.
Insights / Regulation
RegulationChina implements first Dangerous Chemicals Safety Law and suspends ordinary sulfuric acid exports from May 1
China's first Dangerous Chemicals Safety Law took effect on May 1, 2026, replacing the 2013 regulation, while a suspension of ordinary sulfuric acid exports also began, covering about 95% of the country's sulfuric acid export volume through December 31, 2026.
