CAS 107-21-1 · K-REACH · Republic of Korea

Monoethylene glycol under K-REACH

C2H6O2 · 乙二醇

Status: Registered. Monoethylene glycol is registered under K-REACH and listed as a Priority Existing Chemical (PEC). Korean GHS classification matches REACH (Acute Tox. 4 oral, STOT RE 2 kidney). MEG is NOT TCCA-restricted and NOT on the Korean Drug Management Act precursor list. Korea is a major polyester-fibre and PET-resin producer (Hyosung, Toray Advanced Materials Korea, Huvis, TK Chemical) and runs net-imports of MEG to feed downstream polyester chains.

K-REACH treats MEG as a routine PEC-registered substance with no TCCA overlay. Korea is structurally net-importer of MEG (despite operating large gas-route domestic capacity at Hyosung, Honam Petrochemical / Lotte Chemical, GS Caltex) because the Korean polyester-fibre and PET-resin export industry (Hyosung, Toray Advanced Materials Korea, Huvis, TK Chemical) consumes more MEG than the country produces. KCFTA preferential zero-duty makes Chinese-origin MEG cost-competitive vs Saudi Arabia and Singapore alternatives. Producer-route documentation (gas-route vs coal-route) is increasingly important for Korean PET-resin and polyester-fibre exporters supplying US and EU buyers with Scope 3 carbon-emissions reporting commitments.

Listing and threshold

Substance Monoethylene glycol (CAS 107-21-1), C2H6O2
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: Acute Tox. 4 oral (H302), STOT RE 2 (H373, kidney)
  • Korea Occupational Safety and Health Act (KOSHA) workplace exposure standard: 80 mg/m³ TWA
  • NOT on Korea TCCA Toxic Chemicals list
  • NOT on Korea Drug Management Act precursor list
  • Korean Customs Service (KCS) HS code: 29053100
  • Listed in K-REACH database under "general industrial use, low-hazard"
  • NOT classified as carcinogen, mutagen, or reproductive toxicant under Korean GHS

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
  • No active Korean AD/CVD case on Chinese-origin MEG currently
  • KCFTA preferential zero-duty applies to Chinese-origin MEG (HS 29053100); verify producer-specific eligibility (Form CO certified by Chinese authority)
  • Retail antifreeze and coolant containing MEG subject to MFDS-equivalent retail-packaging warning rules at the formulator step (downstream of bulk MEG)

Importer obligations

The Korean importer of record must hold K-REACH registration in their own name or rely on an Only Representative (OR). MEG is high-volume so registration costs are amortised across many importers; new entrants must submit a full registration dossier. KCFTA preferential zero-duty supports cost-competitive Chinese supply vs Saudi Arabia (SABIC, Sipchem) and Singapore (Shell, ExxonMobil) alternatives. Korean polyester-fibre and PET-resin producers (Hyosung, Toray Advanced Materials Korea, Huvis, TK Chemical) are the structural demand pull; Korea is structurally net-importer of MEG.

Required documents

  • K-REACH registration number on Korean side (registrant or OR-appointed)
  • Korean-language MSDS compliant with Korean GHS reflecting H302 + H373 classification
  • Korean Customs Service (KCS) declaration with HS code 29053100
  • China-Korea FTA Form CO certificate of origin for preferential treatment
  • Producer-route declaration where buyer requires (gas-route vs coal-route for Scope 3 carbon reporting)

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
  • KCFTA preferential zero-duty applies but verify producer-specific eligibility (Form CO certified by Chinese authority); origin-shifting of MEG via third countries is increasingly scrutinised
  • STOT RE 2 (kidney) classification drives KOSHA workplace handling guidance
  • Korea is structurally net-importer of MEG; Korean polyester-fibre exports (to US, EU, India) are the downstream demand driver; Korean polyester-fibre AD cases in destination markets (US AD case on Korean polyester staple fibre, EU on Korean polyester filament) periodically affect MEG demand
  • Korean PET-resin producers (Toray Advanced Materials Korea, TK Chemical) export to US and EU markets where Scope 3 emissions reporting is increasingly tracked; gas-route Chinese MEG (Shenghong, Hengli, Sinopec) increasingly preferred over coal-route CTMEG
  • No active Korean AD/CVD case currently; petitions are filed periodically when Chinese export volumes spike

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for monoethylene glycol, see the CAS 107-21-1 sourcing reference.

For grade-by-grade buying notes, freight maths, supplier-tier pricing, and a worked landed-cost example, the monoethylene glycol 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

6 pages across the Sourzi moat

This term shows up in 4 regulatory pages, 1 topic clusters, 1 CAS profiles. Sample backlinks per content type below.

Regulatory (4)

Plus 1 more regulatory pages.

Topic cluster (1)

CAS (1)

Free download

Free PDF: the same MSDS verification template the Sourzi team uses to cross-reference factory documents against TSCA, REACH, AICIS, and CDR before booking.