Australia: Early Regulatory Changes to Take Effect Immediately
The Australian government has put new chemical regulations, or “early regulatory changes” into effect. With this action, the nation wishes to simplify the import of chemicals that are not hazardous to health. Such substances include polymers of low concern (PLCs). The following changes apply to importers:
- PLCs are now exempt from notification.
- The criteria list for PLCs has been expanded, so that a greater number of polymers now fulfill the PLC criteria.
- Cosmetics imported in small quantiles no longer require safety data sheets (SDSs) or labels.
Further details are available from the NICNAS, the responsible agency. The site also provides manufacturers and importers with a questionnaire they can use to determine if their polymer is assigned to the group of PLCs.
NICNAS has also changed the definition of what is to be understood as a “new synthetic polymer.” With the change, Australia wants to align its definition with those of the United States and Canada. According to the change, a new synthetic polymer exists when the polymer consists of:
- A combination of monomers and other reactive components each representing greater than 2% by weight, being a combination not previously listed in the Australia Inventory of Chemical Substances (AICS).
- A weight greater than 2% of a monomer that is not listed in the inventory as a component of a synthetic polymer.
If you operate in the Australian market, you can contact us at reach@kft.de.
