CAS 100-21-0 · K-REACH · Republic of Korea

Purified terephthalic acid under K-REACH

C8H6O4 · 精对苯二甲酸

Status: Registered. Purified terephthalic acid is registered under K-REACH and listed as a Priority Existing Chemical (PEC). Korean GHS classification matches REACH (Eye Irrit. 2, STOT SE 3). PTA is NOT TCCA-restricted and NOT on the Korean Drug Management Act precursor list. Korea has BOTH large domestic PTA capacity (Hanwha TotalEnergies, Lotte Chemical, Samsung Total Petrochemicals, GS Caltex) AND large polyester-fibre import demand for downstream Hyosung / Toray Advanced Materials Korea / Huvis / TK Chemical operations. Korea is structurally a balanced PTA market with periodic flips between net-importer and net-exporter.

K-REACH treats PTA as a routine PEC-registered substance with no TCCA overlay. Korea is structurally a balanced PTA market with both large domestic capacity (Hanwha TotalEnergies Daesan, Lotte Chemical Daesan, Samsung Total Petrochemicals Daesan, GS Caltex Yeosu) and large polyester-fibre import demand (Hyosung, Toray Advanced Materials Korea, Huvis, TK Chemical). Korean Trade Commission (KTC) AD investigations on PTA imports have happened periodically; petition history should be monitored before invoicing volume contracts. KCFTA preferential zero-duty supports Chinese-origin supply when domestic capacity is short. The structural intelligence layer is the integration between Korean polyester-fibre exports (to US, EU, India) and upstream PTA demand: when destination AD on Korean polyester-fibre tightens, Korean PTA demand contracts and AD risk on imported Chinese PTA rises.

Listing and threshold

Substance Purified terephthalic acid (CAS 100-21-0), C8H6O4
Regime Korea Act on the Registration and Evaluation of Chemicals (Act No. 11789, "K-REACH" amended 2018)
Jurisdiction Republic of Korea
Status Registered
Tonnage threshold K-REACH registration required for existing chemicals manufactured or imported >1 tonne/year (verified per Korean Ministry of Environment / NIER guidance, https://chemical.chemlinked.com/chempedia/k-reach; threshold for new substances was reduced from 0.1 t/y to 1 t/y effective 1 January 2025 per K-REACH 2025 amendment)

Classifications under this regime

  • Korean GHS classification: Eye Irrit. 2 (H319), STOT SE 3 (H335)
  • Korea Occupational Safety and Health Act (KOSHA) workplace exposure standard: 5 mg/m³ TWA respirable particulates
  • NOT on Korea TCCA Toxic Chemicals list
  • NOT on Korea Drug Management Act precursor list
  • Korean Customs Service (KCS) HS code: 29173600
  • Listed in K-REACH database under "general industrial use, low-hazard"
  • NOT classified as carcinogen, mutagen, or reproductive toxicant under Korean GHS
  • KFDA approves PET resin (with PTA monomer) for food-contact applications under Korean Food Code Standard

Restrictions and conditions of use

  • No TCCA Toxic Chemicals Handling Permit required
  • No Chemical Accident Prevention Plan (CAPP) required
  • Korea Industrial Safety and Health Act (KOSHA) MSDS in Korean required at workplace
  • Korea Customs Service requires K-REACH registration number on import declaration
  • Korean Trade Commission (KTC) has had periodic AD investigations on PTA imports including from China; verify current case status before invoicing
  • KCFTA preferential zero-duty applies to Chinese-origin PTA (HS 29173600); verify producer-specific eligibility (Form CO certified by Chinese authority)
  • KFDA Korean Food Code applies for downstream-PET-resin food-contact applications (downstream-of-PTA obligation, not PTA monomer obligation)

Importer obligations

The Korean importer of record must hold K-REACH registration in their own name or rely on an Only Representative (OR). PTA is high-volume so registration costs are amortised across many importers; new entrants must submit a full registration dossier. Korea is structurally a balanced PTA market: large domestic capacity at Hanwha TotalEnergies (Daesan), Lotte Chemical (Daesan), Samsung Total Petrochemicals (Daesan), GS Caltex (Yeosu) PLUS large polyester-fibre import demand at Hyosung, Toray Advanced Materials Korea, Huvis, TK Chemical. Korean Trade Commission AD investigations on PTA imports have happened periodically; verify current case status before invoicing volume contracts.

Required documents

  • K-REACH registration number on Korean side (registrant or OR-appointed)
  • Korean-language MSDS compliant with Korean GHS reflecting H319 + H335 classification
  • Korean Customs Service (KCS) declaration with HS code 29173600
  • China-Korea FTA Form CO certificate of origin for preferential treatment
  • Producer-grade declaration (industrial / fibre / bottle / colour / impurity profile)
  • KFDA food-contact compliance documentation (where downstream-PET-resin is food-contact)

Common compliance traps

The pitfalls that have bitten importers on this lane in the past. None of these is theoretical.

  • Korean GHS hazard-statement codes use H-codes mapped to Korean translations; SDS in English-only is rejected at workplace inspection
  • Korea has both large domestic PTA capacity AND large polyester-fibre import demand; the balance flips between net-importer and net-exporter year-by-year. Korean Trade Commission (KTC) AD investigations on PTA imports have been initiated periodically when domestic producers face margin pressure
  • KCFTA preferential zero-duty applies but verify producer-specific eligibility (Form CO certified by Chinese authority); origin-shifting via third countries is increasingly scrutinised
  • Korean polyester-fibre exports to US, EU, and India are the downstream demand driver; downstream AD cases on Korean polyester-fibre in destination markets periodically affect upstream PTA demand
  • Hyosung is largest Korean polyester producer; spandex (Hyosung MyChem) and tyre cord (Hyosung Advanced Materials) are downstream premium-margin products supported by integrated PTA supply
  • Korean PTA capacity is concentrated in Daesan integrated petrochemical complex (Hanwha TotalEnergies, Lotte Chemical, Samsung Total Petrochemicals) and Yeosu (GS Caltex)

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for purified terephthalic acid, see the CAS 100-21-0 sourcing reference.

For grade-by-grade buying notes, freight maths, supplier-tier pricing, and a worked landed-cost example, the purified terephthalic acid cornerstone hub covers the full sourcing chain.

For the structure and history of K-REACH, see the K-REACH glossary entry.

Need cross-jurisdiction compliance support on this substance? Run it through the REACH / TSCA / IECSC / AICIS / K-REACH checker, or send us the substance and the destination and we will quote FOB China and CIF / DDP landed including the regulatory work on the destination side.

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Cross-jurisdiction profile and sourcing references

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