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.

Import Card

Before you order purified terephthalic acid from China, see its register listing, the duty, anti dumping cases and a supplier check on one card, each with its source and date.

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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 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.

Read next

Cross-jurisdiction profile and sourcing references

Referenced in

5 pages across the Sourzi moat

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