Taiwan Regulatory News

On October 14, 2025, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) of Taiwan proposed an amendment to the List of Prohibited Ingredients and Testing Methods for Environmental Pesticides, adding Me...

On October 14, 2025, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) of Taiwan proposed an amendment to the List of Prohibited Ingredients and Testing Methods for Environmental Pesticides, adding Methoxychlor (CAS No. 72-43-5) as a newly banned substance.

Alignment with Global Bans and POPs Listing

Methoxychlor, an organochlorine insecticide, has been banned in most developed countries due to its bioaccumulative properties and harmful effects on the nervous, endocrine, and reproductive systems. In May 2023, the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP-11) to the UN Stockholm Convention officially listed Methoxychlor as a Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP).

National Action to Protect Health and Environment

To align with international management trends and safeguard public health and the environment, Taiwan’s EPA has drafted this revision to explicitly prohibit Methoxychlor from being manufactured, processed, imported, exported, sold, or used in any environmental pesticide products.

This is the fourth revision to the regulation since it was first established on June 5, 2006. The most recent version, updated in July 2022, included 82 prohibited substances. Methoxychlor will become the 83rd entry once the amendment is finalized. Other provisions and microbial restrictions in the annex remain unchanged.

On September 19, 2025, the Department of Resource Recycling under Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment recognized 14 organizations for promoting sustainable and circular procurement of textiles. In lin...

On September 19, 2025, the Department of Resource Recycling under Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment recognized 14 organizations for promoting sustainable and circular procurement of textiles. In line with international circular economy trends, the Department encourages public and private institutions to purchase uniforms and group apparel made from single-material textiles that can be recycled and reused.

Suppliers are requested to provide take-back programs, repair services, and product warranties to improve resource circularity and ensure materials can be recycled and reused.

Integrating Chemical Safety into Sustainability Goals

Sustainability in textiles also requires chemical compliance. The Department emphasizes reducing hazardous substances in clothing and adopting green design principles, aligning with international regulations such as the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which from 2027 will mandate recyclability, repairability, and safer chemical usage for textiles and other products from 2027.

By promoting circular textiles and the use of recycled fibers, the initiative also indirectly supports compliance with chemical management laws and encourages safer material use throughout the product lifecycle.

Cross-Sector Participation and Supplier Collaboration

Participating organizations span telecommunications, aviation, finance, retail, research, and public institutions, collectively procuring recyclable polyester garments. Supplier partners provide technical support to ensure garments meet both circularity and chemical safety standards.

Next Steps: Strengthening Circular and Chemical Management

Looking ahead, the Department plans to expand circular procurement, encourage the voluntary use of recycled fibers in manufacturing, strengthen recycled material certification, and implement digital tracking systems for sustainable textiles. These measures aim to enhance both chemical safety and sustainability, supporting a robust local circular textile ecosystem centered on Taiwan’s green brand (gMIT).

For more information, institutions and suppliers can visit the Ministry of Environment’s Textile Circular Zone here or the Taiwan Textile Industry Development Association’s eco-textile platform here.

On 17 September 2025, Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment (MoENV) announces draft amendments to the Regulations Governing Water Pollution Prevention Measures and Testing Reporting Management. To str...

On 17 September 2025, Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment (MoENV) announces draft amendments to the Regulations Governing Water Pollution Prevention Measures and Testing Reporting Management. To strengthen water quality protection,  The revision emphasizes digitalized monitoring, stricter accountability for operators, and enhanced transparency to prevent data falsification.

Key amendments include:

1. Data-driven and Smart Management
   Enterprises or sewerage systems with permitted daily discharge volumes of 10,000 tons or more will be required to install independent electronic meters and automatic water quality/quantity monitoring devices at critical points of their wastewater treatment facilities. Monitoring data must be directly transmitted to authorities, shifting management from passive inspection to proactive oversight.

2. Stricter Responsibility for Operators and Service Providers
   A new definition for “automatic monitoring service agencies” has been introduced. Enterprises or sewerage systems must register their contracted service providers. If falsified data is detected and confirmed during the contract period, the responsible agency’s name will be publicly disclosed and the enterprise will be required to change service providers.

3. Direct Data Transmission to Prevent Fraud
   Improvements to the automatic monitoring and data transmission system include standardized communication formats and direct transfer of raw monitoring data. This ensures reliability and integrity of reported information.

The Ministry stated that these changes will strengthen deterrence against illegal pollution and create a fairer compliance environment for law-abiding enterprises.

Relevance to Chemical Regulation and Compliance
For industries handling chemical substances, the revised wastewater monitoring rules increase compliance obligations related to pollutant discharge. Chemical manufacturers and downstream users must ensure that their wastewater treatment processes meet legal discharge limits and that all monitoring data is accurate and digitally traceable. These measures align with broader regulatory trends emphasizing transparency, environmental accountability, and stricter enforcement of pollutant management.

The draft amendments are open for public comment within 60 days of announcement.

On 9 September 2025, TaiWan's Occupational Safety and Health Administration announces that it will host free online seminars on October 21 and 22, 2025, to introduce updates to the Globally Harmonized...

On 9 September 2025, TaiWan's Occupational Safety and Health Administration announces that it will host free online seminars on October 21 and 22, 2025, to introduce updates to the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) and outline the direction of upcoming regulatory amendments.

Taiwan’s national standard CNS 15030 (Classification and Labelling of Chemicals) has already been revised in line with the 8th edition of the GHS Purple Book. The government plans to update the Regulations for Labelling and Hazard Communication of Hazardous Chemicals next year to reflect these changes.

The seminars, organized by OSHA and executed by the Safety and Health Technology Center (SAHTECH), will provide an overview of Taiwan’s GHS implementation, highlight key changes in Purple Book version 8, and present initial directions for revising hazard labelling and communication rules.

Each session is free of charge and limited to 250 participants, with registration opening on September 19 at 9:00 a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants must register online, and confirmation details will be sent by email the day before the event.

Seminar details

• October 21, 2025 (Tuesday), 13:45–15:00 Registration link

• October 22, 2025 (Wednesday), 13:45–15:00 Registration link

The sessions are intended for occupational safety and health professionals and industry stakeholders with prior GHS experience.

For further information, contact Ms. Lin at SAHTECH, tel: (06) 293-7770.

On 9 September 2025, Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment (MEO) announced that nationwide drinking water tests for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are in compliance with national limits. A...

On 9 September 2025, Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment (MEO) announced that nationwide drinking water tests for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are in compliance with national limits. At the same time, the ministry issued guideline values for six additional emerging contaminants to strengthen water quality management. The new substances include germanium, thallium, boron, microcystin-LR, DEHP (a plasticizer), and the total sum of 20 PFAS compounds.

Previous PFAS Regulation Efforts

In November 2024, Taiwan revised its drinking water quality standards to include PFAS limits, becoming one of the first countries in Asia to adopt such measures. Under the updated standards, PFOA + PFOS must not exceed 50 ng/L and PFOS + PFHxS must not exceed 70 ng/L. Since the start of 2025, testing has been conducted at 130 large-scale water treatment plants, covering 91% of the national water supply, with all results meeting the standards.

Test Results Confirm Compliance Nationwide

Analysis shows that:

• For PFOA + PFOS, over 96% of samples were either undetected or at less than one quarter of the standard. Only isolated cases in central Taiwan reaching about half the limit.
• For PFOS + PFHxS, 98% of samples fell below a quarter of the limit, confirming that PFAS levels in drinking water are generally safe nationwide.
• Observed patters also show surface water sources tending to have lower PFAS concentration than groundwater, and that the northern, southern, and eastern regions exhibit particularly low concentrations.

Rolling Updates in Line with International Trends

According to the Ministry, guideline values for emerging contaminants will be continuously updated, following expert consultation and international trends such as the EU Drinking Water Directive.

The newly introduced guideline for ‘total PFAS (20 compounds)’ is 100 ng/L. Local environmental agencies and water utilities have been instructed to integrate these new values into their monitoring regimes.

The Ministry also noted that future updates will follow international developments, with the National Environmental Research Institute enhancing testing methods and capacity, including total organofluorine screening techniques, to ensure Taiwan’s drinking water remains safe and aligned with global standards.

On 5 September 2025, Taiwan’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announces that it will hold three regional seminars from October 1 to 8, 2025 to guide employers and occupationa...

On 5 September 2025, Taiwan’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announces that it will hold three regional seminars from October 1 to 8, 2025 to guide employers and occupational safety personnel on workplace environmental monitoring, exposure assessment practices, and reporting via the OSHA monitoring and exposure management system.

Under Taiwan’s regulations, employers are required to develop monitoring plans before conducting workplace environmental measurements and report both the plans and results to the OSHA system 15 days before and 45 days after sampling, respectively. These seminars aim to help organizations improve the quality of their monitoring plans, familiarize themselves with the system’s operation, and understand newly added functionalities.

Seminar details:

• New Taipei City – October 1, 13:30–16:30, Taiwan Cultural & Creative Training Center (B401, Banqiao) Register

• Taichung – October 3, 13:30–16:30, ITRI Taichung Learning Center (402, Zhongke Building) Register

• Kaohsiung – October 8, 13:30–16:30, China Productivity Center Kaohsiung Service Office (Fifth Classroom) Register

Each session is free of charge and limited to 50 participants per location. Attendees completing the full session will receive 3 hours of occupational safety and health continuing education credit, registered according to their professional status.

The seminars will cover:

• Practical steps for executing workplace environmental monitoring

• Legal requirements and exposure standards

• Classification of physical and chemical hazards and sampling equipment

• Developing monitoring plans and proper record-keeping

For inquiries, contact Mr. Lin at Pro2E Information Co., Ltd., tel: (02) 2741-3239, email: oemd@pro2e.com.tw.

OSHA encourages all occupational safety and health personnel and those responsible for workplace monitoring to participate and improve their compliance and monitoring skills.

On 18 June 2025, Taiwan’s authorities hosts an online briefing to guide registrants on preparing and submitting hazard and exposure assessment data for existing chemical substances under the “Regu...

On 18 June 2025, Taiwan’s authorities hosts an online briefing to guide registrants on preparing and submitting hazard and exposure assessment data for existing chemical substances under the “Regulations on Registration of New and Existing Chemicals.”

The first phase of the regulations required 106 existing chemicals to complete standard registration, with most registrants having submitted items 1–7 of Appendix 3 by the end of 2024. The next step, according to Article 18, paragraph 2, is to submit items 8 and 9 of Appendix 4—hazard and exposure assessment data—for standard registrations at Level 2 or above.

To assist registrants, the authorities selected four chemicals as examples:

Antimony Trioxide (CAS 1309-64-4)

Sulfuric Acid (CAS 7664-93-9)

Toluene (CAS 108-88-3)

Zinc Oxide (CAS 1314-13-2)

Registrants are required to confirm hazard assessment report examples by the end of 2025 and complete submission of hazard and exposure information by the end of 2026.

The online session covered deadlines, report confirmation procedures, required data per registration type, and submission methods. Non-registrants of the four substances were also invited to join to understand general data preparation practices.

Event details:

• Date: June 18, 2025

• Time: 10:00–12:00

• Platform: Google Meet

• Resources: Presentation Slides, YouTube Video

Agenda:

• 10:00–10:20: Overview of existing chemical standard registration

• 10:20–11:00: Submission procedures for hazard and exposure assessment data

• 11:00–11:30: Methods for submitting data

• 11:30–12:00: Q&A and discussion

The briefing reinforces Taiwan’s efforts to support chemical registrants in meeting compliance requirements efficiently while ensuring comprehensive hazard and exposure assessments.