CAS 105-60-2 · REACH · European Union

Caprolactam under REACH

C6H11NO · 己内酰胺

Status: Registered. Caprolactam is fully registered under REACH at the highest tonnage band (>1,000,000 tonnes/year) as a foundational nylon-6 monomer. The substance carries a moderate occupational hazard profile (Acute Tox. 4, Eye Irrit. 2, Skin Irrit. 2, STOT SE 3 respiratory irritation). NOT SVHC, NOT Annex XIV. The dominant trade-policy concern is the **EU active AD case on Chinese-origin caprolactam**: definitive AD duties imposed by EU Council regulation (originally 2017-2018, definitive duties extended via expiry review). Caprolactam is the primary product whose by-product (~4 tonnes ammonium sulfate per tonne caprolactam) drives ~80% of global AS supply.

Caprolactam is fully REACH-registered with moderate occupational hazard profile. The dominant practitioner-facing complexity for Chinese-origin caprolactam into EU is the **active EU AD case** (definitive duties since 2017-2018, extended via expiry review). Producer-specific AD margin tracking is the operator intelligence layer; Sinopec Baling, Sinopec Shijiazhuang, Hengyi Petrochemical, Tianlong, Lujian Caprolactam, Yangmei Coal Industry-Hengtian, Fujian Shenyuan, and Hubei Sanning all carry distinct producer-specific rates. China dominates global capacity (~70%, ~5 Mt/yr); Russian and Belarusian alternatives carry broader Russia-sanctions concern from 2022. The caprolactam → AS by-product chain is structural (~4 tonnes AS per tonne caprolactam); AS by-product economics affect caprolactam plant pricing and is the dominant joint-product economics story for Chinese petrochemical-to-fibre integrated capacity.

Listing and threshold

Substance Caprolactam (CAS 105-60-2), C6H11NO
Regime EU Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006: Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals
Jurisdiction European Union (EU-27 plus EEA: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway)
Status Registered
Tonnage threshold Registration required for any importer or manufacturer placing >1 t/year on the EU market

Classifications under this regime

  • Harmonised CLP classification: Acute Tox. 4 oral / inhalation (H302 / H332, "harmful if swallowed / if inhaled"), Eye Irrit. 2 (H319), Skin Irrit. 2 (H315), STOT SE 3 (H335, "may cause respiratory irritation")
  • Signal word: WARNING
  • GHS pictograms: GHS07 (exclamation mark)
  • NOT classified as carcinogen, mutagen, or reproductive toxicant
  • NOT classified as hazardous to the aquatic environment at standard CLP cutoffs
  • IARC: caprolactam was classified Group 4 (probably not carcinogenic to humans) in Monograph Vol 71 (1999); IARC abolished Group 4 as a category in the 2019 Preamble reform, and Vol 119 (2019) is the current Monograph governing caprolactam. Verify current classification (Group 3 vs other) against https://monographs.iarc.who.int/list-of-classifications before relying on the Group 4 attribution
  • NOT subject to Drug Precursors or Explosives Precursors scheduling

Restrictions and conditions of use

  • NOT on REACH Annex XIV (Authorisation list)
  • NOT classified as SVHC
  • NOT subject to any Annex XVII restriction
  • **Active EU AD case on Chinese-origin caprolactam**: definitive AD duties imposed by Council regulation (originally 2017-2018; definitive duties extended via expiry review). Producer-specific rates apply; verify current rate before invoicing EU lane
  • Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM): caprolactam is NOT in CBAM Phase 1 scope (cement, iron and steel, aluminium, fertilisers, hydrogen, electricity (Phase 1 scope verified at https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism_en, definitive period from 1 January 2026)); potential CBAM Phase 2 candidate post-2026 review
  • EU Reach evaluation review under CoRAP completed; no further regulatory action required at this stage
  • EU food-contact applications via Regulation 10/2011: caprolactam monomer residue in nylon-6 food-contact materials regulated at SML 15 mg/kg food

Importer obligations

A non-EU producer cannot register directly under REACH. The EU importer of record must hold a registration or rely on an Only Representative (OR). For Chinese-origin caprolactam specifically the practitioner-facing layer is dominated by **EU active AD case**: producer-specific AD margin verification at customs entry, AD cash deposit at entry, and 5-year administrative review record retention. Major Chinese producers (Sinopec Baling, Sinopec Shijiazhuang, Hengyi Petrochemical, Tianlong, Lujian Caprolactam, Yangmei Coal Industry-Hengtian, Fujian Shenyuan, Hubei Sanning) carry distinct producer-specific AD rates. EU is structurally net-importer of caprolactam for downstream nylon-6 manufacture (DSM Engineering Plastics, BASF, Lanxess, Domo Chemicals).

Required documents

  • REACH registration number on the EU side (registrant or OR-appointed)
  • Safety Data Sheet (SDS) compliant with REACH Annex II in destination Member State language(s) reflecting H302 / H315 / H319 / H332 / H335 classification
  • CLP-compliant labelling with GHS07 pictogram and WARNING signal word
  • Customs entry with HS code 29337100 (caprolactam)
  • EU AD case producer-specific margin documentation for Customs entry filing
  • EU AD cash deposit at entry equivalent to producer-specific rate
  • Regulation 10/2011 compliance documentation for nylon-6 food-contact downstream applications

Common compliance traps

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

  • **EU active AD case on Chinese-origin caprolactam is the dominant compliance and cost layer**. Producer-specific rates apply; verify current rate before invoicing EU lane. Periodic expiry reviews and administrative reviews adjust rates
  • Caprolactam is the primary product whose by-product (~4 tonnes ammonium sulfate per tonne caprolactam) drives ~80% of global AS supply; AS by-product economics affect caprolactam plant economics structurally
  • NOT in CBAM Phase 1 scope but EU revision may extend to organic chemicals; long-term watch-item
  • EU is structurally net-importer of caprolactam; Chinese supply competes with Russian (KuibyshevAzot, KazanOrgSintez), Belarusian (Grodno Azot), and Korean (Capro Corporation, Kolon Industries) alternatives
  • Russian and Belarusian caprolactam under broader Russia-sanctions concern from 2022; some EU buyers prefer Chinese or Korean supply for sanctions-compliance reasons
  • Acute Tox. 4 oral / inhalation + STOT SE 3 hazard profile drives workplace handling guidance; nylon-6 polymerisation-reactor handling requires dust + vapour exposure controls
  • Major Chinese producers: Sinopec Baling (Hunan), Sinopec Shijiazhuang (Hebei), Hengyi Petrochemical (Zhejiang), Tianlong (Shandong), Lujian Caprolactam (Anhui), Yangmei Coal Industry-Hengtian (Shanxi), Fujian Shenyuan (Fujian), Hubei Sanning (Hubei). China dominates global capacity (~70%, ~5 Mt/yr)

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for caprolactam, see the CAS 105-60-2 sourcing reference.

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

For the structure and history of REACH, see the 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

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