Australia Regulatory News

The new clarification from the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) explains registration obligations under various circumstances to organizations that import or manufacture ind...

The new clarification from the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) explains registration obligations under various circumstances to organizations that import or manufacture industrial chemicals or products. This includes universities, colleges, research institutes, charities, and non-profit organizations.

Being the regulatory body in Australia, AICIS on May 31 stipulated the mandatory registrations expected of relevant organizations, including organizations that import or manufacture small amount. It also does not matter if another university/organization already imports the same or similar chemicals from overseas, the process of registration will be the same, as it is for others.

The qualification process for registration applies to any organization involved in any of these activities:

• Buy chemicals from overseas for teaching or research,
• Manufacture industrial chemicals in a lab or classroom for teaching or research,
• Import or manufacture a low volume of chemicals with no threshold limit cast on the volume,
• Import or manufacture chemicals solely for non-profit research, or  
• Import or manufacture chemicals solely for a charitable purpose.  

 

The AICIS notice had clarified that organizations are not obliged to register blending or mixing ingredients purchased in Australia, goods and products not designed to intentionally release chemicals, or non-industrial chemicals. The AICIS has also provided information and guidance for registration regarding businesses and chemicals as well as those to-do-list after the organizations have completed the process.

On the 30th of May 2022, Australia published some evaluations under section 78 of the Industrial Chemicals Act 2019. The draft versions of these evaluations were initially published for public consult...

On the 30^th of May 2022, Australia published some evaluations under section 78 of the Industrial Chemicals Act 2019. The draft versions of these evaluations were initially published for public consultation and closed on the 28^th of March 2022.

The concerned chemicals and new evaluations are as follows:

The Australian Government published a variation of specific information requirements regarding 1H-1,4,7-triazonine, octahydro-1,4,7-trimethyl- (CAS No. 96556-05-7) on May 4, 2022. The modification and...

The Australian Government published a variation of specific information requirements regarding 1H-1,4,7-triazonine, octahydro-1,4,7-trimethyl- (CAS No. 96556-05-7) on May 4, 2022. The modification and publication are done in accordance with Section 93 of the Industrial Chemicals Act 2019.

This chemical has been assessed under the Industrial Chemicals (Notification and Assessment) Act 1989, and any registered introducer (that is, manufacturers and importers) can introduce this to Australia based on the Australia Inventory of Industrial Chemicals (AIIC) list.

The published notice states that for 1H-1,4,7-triazonine, octahydro-1,4,7-trimethyl- (CAS No. 96556-05-7), the introducers (importers and manufacturers) of this chemical shall notify the Executive Director in writing in 28 days when either of the following situations is met (excerpted from Variation of Specific Information Requirements).

• The importation volume of the chemical ≥ 10 t/y; or
• The concentration of the chemical in paints or coatings ≥ 3%.

The Australian authority on the 13th of May 2022 announced the addition of six chemicals to the Australia Inventory of Industrial Chemicals (AIIC). The assessment certificates of these chemicals have ...

The Australian authority on the 13^th of May 2022 announced the addition of six chemicals to the Australia Inventory of Industrial Chemicals (AIIC). The assessment certificates of these chemicals have been issued according to Section 82 of the Industrial Chemical Act 2019.

Any registered introducer; namely, importers or manufacturers of chemicals, are entitled to introduce the chemical substances listed in the AIIC. According to the regulating Act 2019, the introducers are required to register industrial chemicals before introducing them to Australia, during the registration year from September 1 to August 31. However, those listed in AIIC need an assessment certificate from the Executive Director to introduce such industrial chemicals

The table below provides detailed information about the newly added chemicals.

On March 23, 2022, the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Australia, published a roadmap for IChEMS and a draft of IChEMS principles is now available for public consultation until M...

On March 23, 2022, the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Australia, published a roadmap for IChEMS and a draft of IChEMS principles is now available for public consultation until May 24, 2022. IChEMS is a national approach in Australia to help industry and governments manage the environmental risks of chemicals. It also aims to facilitate industry to choose less harmful chemicals. The legal basis of IChEMS is the legislation ‘Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management (Register) Act 2021’ that was passed in March 2021.  

The introduction of Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) in 2019 presents a new scheme for industrial chemical management in Australia. AICIS is responsible for regulating the import and manufacture of industrial chemicals in Australia and assessing risks to human health and the environment across the lifecycle of industrial chemicals. IChEMS operates closely with AICIS, including using AICIS risk assessments to schedule industrial chemicals on the IChEMS Register (a record of chemical scheduling decisions made under the Industrial Chemicals Environment Management (Register) Act 2021).

Earlier in the month, the Australian Government, Department of Health, has shared a complete list of chemicals on the Inventory. This downloadable inventory was updated till 10 February 2022 and the next update would be released in late 2022. The inventory contains around 40,000 chemicals that are being manufactured or imported (introduced) into Australia for industrial use.

In the initial plan published last year on IChEMS, companies importing or manufacturing chemicals were expected to pay the fee for IChEMS register from September this year. This will be delayed for a year from September 1, 2023. The fee structure will be announced after industry consultation in late 2022.

After the public consultation, the plans for IChEMS implementation can be expected from June 2022. In late 2022, the authorities plan to incorporate IChEMS Register into the regulatory framework and realize IChEMS vision and goals from 2023.  

GPC has a legal entity in Australia and can help non-Australian companies to meet their compliance requirements as an Australian agent

Australia Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) reviews the voluntary Australian standard and proposes a new compulsory safety standard on February 25, 2022. This new rule mandates suppliersâ€...

Australia Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) reviews the voluntary Australian standard and proposes a new compulsory safety standard on February 25, 2022. This new rule mandates suppliers’ compliance to the newest standard called Australia/New Zealand Standard on safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties.

Furthermore, ACCC proposes that suppliers should comply with any of these overseas voluntary standards:

1.       International Standard on safety aspects related to mechanical and physical properties

2.       European Standard on mechanical and physical properties

3.       American Standard on standard consumer safety specification for toy safety

The proposed change is not to amend any rule in the voluntary standard but to ensure compliance with the existing rules compulsory for suppliers. The final comment date for this proposal is April 29, 2022, while the proposed date of entry will be a transitional period of 18 months for suppliers to adopt the new requirements.

On  7 March 2022, Australia notified the changes to its laws regarding Mercury, in a bid to comply with the Minamata Convention obligations. Due to the amendment, Australia now prohibits the import...

On  7 March 2022, Australia notified the changes to its laws regarding Mercury, in a bid to comply with the Minamata Convention obligations. Due to the amendment, Australia now prohibits the import and export of elemental mercury, also known as metallic mercury. The new rule to prohibit products that contain mercury became effective on March 7, 2022.  The prohibited products are: 

• Batteries, except for button zinc silver oxide batteries with a mercury content <2% and button zinc air batteries with a mercury content <2%
• Switches and relays, except very high accuracy capacitance and loss measurement bridges and high frequency radio frequency switches and relays in monitoring and control instruments with a maximum mercury content of 20mg per bridge, switch or relay
• Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) for general lighting purposes that are ≤30 watts with a mercury content exceeding 5mg per lamp burner
• Linear fluorescent lamps (LFLs) for general lighting purposes:
  1. Triband phosphor <60 watts with a mercury content exceeding 5mg per lamp
  2. Halophosphate phosphor ≤40 watts with a mercury content exceeding 10mg per lamp
• High pressure mercury vapour lamps (HPMV) for general lighting purposes
• Mercury in cold cathode fluorescent lamps and external electrode fluorescent lamps (CCFL and EEFL) for electronic displays:
  1. Short length (≤500mm) with mercury content exceeding 3.5mg per lamp
  2. Medium length (>500mm and ≤1500mm) with mercury content exceeding 5mg per lamp
  3. Long length (>1500mm) with mercury content exceeding 13mg per lamp
• Cosmetics (with mercury content above 1ppm), including skin lightening soaps and creams, and not including eye area cosmetics where mercury is used as a preservative and no effective and safe substitute preservatives are available
• Pesticides, biocides and topical antiseptics
• The following non-electronic measuring devices except non-electronic measuring devices installed in large-scale equipment or those used for high precision measurement, where no suitable mercury-free alternative is available:
  1. Barometers
  2. Hygrometers
  3. Manometers
  4. Thermometers
  5. Sphygmomanometers