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ECHA announced the addition of 14 new substance testing proposals and invited public comments by May 2.

March 28, 2025, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Standardization Administration of China jointly released the updated national standards GB 12268-2025 List of Dangerous Goods and GB 6944-2025 Classification and Code of Dangerous Goods, marking a new phase in China’s hazardous materials safety management. These two standards will fully replace the current GB 12268-2012 and GB 6944-2012, with official implementation set for October 1, 2025.

In March 2025, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Health Canada jointly announced a proposal to add boric acid, its salts, and precursor substances to Part 2 of Schedule 1 (Toxic Substances List) under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA). This regulatory action aims to strengthen control over environmental and health risks associated with these substances, following an assessment conducted under Section 68 of CEPA.

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) officially published 2023 fiscal year data on domestic production and import volumes of General Chemical Substances, Priority Assessment Chemical Substances, and Monitoring Chemical Substances. The disclosure aligns with the Chemical Substance Control Law (CSCL) to strengthen lifecycle management of chemicals through transparent regulation and mitigate potential health and environmental risks.

To assist enterprises, member state regulatory authorities, and the public in understanding the new rules, the European Commission released the Implementation Guide for the REACH Microplastics Restriction (Annex XVII Entry 78) in April 2025. Developed by ECHA in collaboration with member states, the guide is non-binding but provides detailed instructions for implementing the regulation.

The Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs decided to implement export controls on certain medium to heavy rare earth-related items.

On February 5, 2025, the South Korean National Assembly officially launched the legislative revision process for the Act on the Registration and Evaluation of Chemicals (K-REACH), aiming to resolve disputes in the joint submission system for chemical substances and fill legal gaps in the replacement procedures for foreign manufacturers’ designated Only Representatives (OR). The revision, undergoing parliamentary review from February 7 to 21, 2025, marks a critical step in enhancing South Korea’s chemical management framework.

On March 20, 2025, the Chemical Safety Agency under South Korea’s Ministry of Environment released a draft of the Detailed Guidelines for Extended Inspection of Hazardous Chemical Transport Containers, mandating that expired containers undergo rigorous testing before reuse. The policy will take effect immediately upon finalization and undergo triennial reviews (by June 30 every three years) starting July 1, 2025.

On 1 April 2025, Regulation (EU) 2025/660 was published by the European Commission, amending Annex XVII of the REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (EU REACH). The revision specifically addresses polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in clay targets used for shooting.