News Details

On 7 August 2026, the United Kingdom notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of a proposal to introduce new and revised mandatory classifications and labelling requirements for 20 hazardous chemical substances under the Great Britain Mandatory Classification and Labelling (GB MCL) List. The proposal, developed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), includes several widely used industrial chemicals and consumer product ingredients.

Proposed Classifications

The proposal would introduce new or revised mandatory classifications for the 20 substances, based on HSE Agency Opinions. These include a number of Carcinogen Category 1B and Reproductive Toxicity Category 1B classifications, as well as updates for acute toxicity, specific target organ toxicity, skin sensitisation, and environmental hazards.

Among the substances included in the proposal are:

• Bisphenol F (CAS No. 620-92-8) – proposed for classification as Reproductive Toxicity Category 1B (H360F).
• 2-Pyrrolidone (CAS No. 616-45-5) – proposed for classification as Reproductive Toxicity Category 1B (H360D) with a specific concentration limit.
• Bronopol (CAS No. 52-51-7) – proposed revised classifications covering acute toxicity, skin corrosion, skin sensitisation and aquatic hazards.
• Tebuconazole (CAS No. 107534-96-3) – proposed classifications including reproductive toxicity, specific target organ toxicity and aquatic hazards.
• Tea tree oil and other commonly used substances such as thymol, eugenol, and piperonal are also included.

Several boron compounds, including ulexite, colemanite, and tincalconite, are also proposed for classification as Reproductive Toxicity Category 1B.

Consultation and Next Steps

Stakeholders may submit comments on the proposal until 6 October 2026. According to the WTO notification, adoption is expected in Q1 2027, with voluntary application planned from Q1 2027 and mandatory application from Q3 2028.

If adopted, the amendments will update the GB Mandatory Classification and Labelling List, requiring suppliers to classify and label affected in accordance with the revised mandatory entries when placing them on the Great Britain market.