New UK Restrictions on Mercury-Added Products Take Effect in December 2025

On 2 December 2025, the UK Government published the Control of Mercury (Amendment) Regulations 2025, introducing new restrictions on a wide range of mercury-added products. The regulation was made on 1 December and will enter into force on 23 December 2025. This update brings Great Britain into line with the amendments to Annex A of the Minamata Convention on Mercury that require the phase-out of specified mercury-added products.

New Restrictions on Mercury-Added Products

The amendment expands the list of products that can no longer be manufactured, imported or exported in Great Britain. Newly prohibited items include:

• Multiple categories of fluorescent lamps
• Mercury-containing lamps used in electronic displays
• Mercury vacuum pumps
• Strain gauges used in medical devices
• High-precision measurement and monitoring instruments
• Melt pressure transducers, sensors and transmitters
• Photographic film and paper containing mercury
• Industrial components, such as tyre balancers, wheel weights, and certain aerospace propellants

Most prohibitions will apply from 31 December 2025, while selected lighting products have extended deadlines in 2026 and 2027.

Alignment with International Obligations

These updates align with the UK’s international obligations under the Minamata Convention, which requires Parties to phase out specified mercury-containing products. The government acknowledges that the market has already moved away from many of the affected items and therefore anticipates minimal disruption to businesses and public bodies. Both Scotland and Wales consented to the amendments under the established intergovernmental procedures.

Impact on Businesses and Market Compliance

The new requirements reinforce the ongoing transition to mercury-free technologies. Businesses placing lighting products, electronic displays, industrial components or specialised measuring devices on the market must verify whether the updated prohibitions apply to their products.

Next Steps

The amended regulation will enter into force on 23 December 2025. Updated government guidance is expected to follow. Companies handling or distributing mercury-added products should assess their inventories and ensure compliance with the new deadlines.