Brazil: Chemicals Law on the Way

The Brazilian Ministry of the Environment (Ministério do Meio Ambiente: MMA) has published the draft of a chemicals law. The draft is open to public consultation until the middle of August. Representatives of the National Commission on Chemical Safety (CONASQ) have drafted the document and will present the final version to the Congresso Nacional, which will mold the document into a law.

One feature of the proposed law is the creation of a national database for chemicals, much like the case in the European Union and Canada. The list should include chemicals that are manufactured in or imported into Brazil in a quantity of at least one ton per year. Lawmakers will require the companies specify the firm, the amount, the intended use, the CAS number, and the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) classification and labeling of the substance. The information must be submitted within three years after the law appears in the official gazette.

Furthermore, the proposed law would create two committees. The first would assess risks, select substances, and evaluate substances according to specific criteria, such as carcinogenic properties, persistence, hormonal activity, and human and environmental effects. The second would define prohibitions and limitations and decide on permissible quantities.

Brazil is Germany’s most important trade partner (in German) in Latin America. More than 1,300 German-Brazilian companies, 900 of them in Sao Paulo alone, employ about 250,000 people. However, the country is in the midst of a deep recession right now. Investments have decline for ten consecutive quarters.

KFT works with companies in Brazil and is thoroughly familiar with Regulatory Chemical Compliance. Please contact us at reach@kft.de.