CAS 108-88-3 · IECSC · People's Republic of China

Toluene (methylbenzene) under IECSC

C7H8 · 甲苯

Status: Listed. Toluene is on the IECSC public portion as a foundational aromatic solvent and BTX chain product. New-substance notification under MEE Decree No. 7 (2010) is NOT required. **Toluene IS on China's Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals** (Flam. Liq. 2 + Repr 2 + Asp. Tox. 1 + STOT RE 2 classification). Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit IS required for production / storage / distribution. NOT on Highly Toxic Chemicals Catalog (lighter than phenol batch 13 + formaldehyde batch 18). NOT on Easily-Made Drugs Precursor Chemicals Catalog (some abuse-substance flag applies but no formal precursor scheduling). 0% China VAT export rebate for toluene (HS 290230) reflects Beijing aromatic-petrochemical export-discouragement signal (similar to phenol batch 13 + benzene). China dominates global capacity (~30%, ~12-15 Mt/yr toluene-equivalent).

Toluene is comfortably IECSC-listed but IS on Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals (Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit chain required). NOT on Highly Toxic Chemicals Catalog (lighter than phenol batch 13 + formaldehyde batch 18). NOT on Easily-Made Drugs Catalog. **0% China VAT export rebate** is structural Beijing aromatic-petrochemical export-discouragement signal (similar to phenol batch 13 + benzene): reduced from 13% to discourage exports of high-value aromatic products. China dominates global capacity (~30%, ~12-15 Mt/yr toluene-equivalent) led by Sinopec (Yangzi + Shanghai + Maoming + Yueyang), CNPC (Karamay + Jilin + Daqing), Hengli Petrochemical Dalian, Wanhua Chemical Yantai, Zhejiang Petrochemical Zhoushan / ZRCC. Petroleum reformer route dominates (~75%); steam-cracker pyrolysis-gasoline ~20%; coal-tar route ~5%. MEE 2024 guidance prefers petroleum reformer + steam-cracker capacity additions. **BTX chain economics** couple Chinese reformer + steam-cracker capacity additions to coupled benzene + toluene + xylene supply growth. Capacity additions 2024-2026 extend Chinese dominance toward ~32-35%.

Listing and threshold

Substance Toluene (methylbenzene) (CAS 108-88-3), C7H8
Regime China Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances (IECSC), administered by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE)
Jurisdiction People's Republic of China
Status Listed
Tonnage threshold No new-substance threshold applies. Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit required regardless of volume

Classifications under this regime

  • Listed in China's Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals
  • NOT on China's Highly Toxic Chemicals Catalog
  • NOT on the Easily-Made Drugs Precursor Chemicals Catalog (some abuse-substance flag applies but no formal precursor scheduling)
  • GB/T 3406-2012 specification applies for industrial-grade toluene (Chinese national standard)
  • GB/T 3406-2012 covers minimum 99.5% purity (industrial-grade), water content, sulfur content, color (APHA), distillation range
  • GACC export classification: HS 290230 (toluene)
  • China dominates global capacity (~30%, ~12-15 Mt/yr toluene-equivalent); ~75% via petroleum reformer route, ~20% via steam-cracker pyrolysis-gasoline, ~5% via coal-tar route (Henan + Shanxi inland coal cluster)
  • GB 6944-2012 dangerous-goods transport classification: Class 3 (flammable liquid), UN 1294

Restrictions and conditions of use

  • **Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit IS required** for any party producing, storing, or distributing toluene
  • Hazardous Chemicals Road Transport Permit required for road shipment of bulk toluene
  • Customs Inspection Order may apply for export consignments
  • No specific export-restriction or quota system applies
  • **0% China VAT export rebate** for toluene (HS 290230); reduced from 13% reflects Beijing aromatic-petrochemical export-discouragement signal (similar to phenol batch 13 + benzene)
  • GB/T 17519 Chinese-language SDS required for domestic distribution
  • MEE 2024 guidance restricts new coal-tar route capacity; preference for petroleum reformer + steam-cracker routes
  • Chinese capacity additions 2024-2026 (Hengli Petrochemical Phase 4, Zhejiang Petrochemical Phase 3, Sinopec Yangzi expansion, Wanhua Chemical Yantai expansion) extend dominance toward ~32-35%

Importer obligations

For Chinese-origin toluene exported abroad, no IECSC obligation falls on the foreign importer. The export-side documentation pack focuses on the Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit chain (producer / forwarder / port operator each hold permits), the GB/T 17519 Chinese-language SDS, and ADG 7.7 Class 3 transport documentation. Major Chinese producers (Sinopec Yangzi + Sinopec Shanghai + Sinopec Maoming + Sinopec Yueyang, CNPC Karamay + CNPC Jilin + CNPC Daqing, Hengli Petrochemical Dalian, Wanhua Chemical Yantai, Zhejiang Petrochemical Zhoushan / ZRCC) compete with EU domestic producers (BP / INEOS Hull, Shell Chemicals Pernis, BASF Ludwigshafen, ExxonMobil Antwerp), US domestic producers (BP / INEOS, Shell Chemicals, ExxonMobil, Chevron Phillips), Korean producers (LG Chem Yeosu, Hanwha Solutions Yeosu, Lotte Chemical Yeosu, GS Caltex Yeosu), and Indian / Saudi / Singaporean producers.

Required documents

  • GACC export declaration with HS code 290230
  • Industrial-grade certificate per GB/T 3406-2012 (minimum 99.5% purity)
  • GHS-compliant SDS in Simplified Chinese per GB/T 17519-2013 (effective 31 January 2014, references UN GHS 4th revised edition; verify against the current version of GB/T 17519 at https://www.codeofchina.com/standard/GBT17519-2013.html)
  • Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit chain documentation (producer / forwarder / port operator)
  • Hazardous Chemicals Road Transport Permit (where road-shipped from inland producers)
  • GB 6944-2012 Class 3 dangerous-goods transport documentation

Common compliance traps

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

  • Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit chain is the dominant operational complexity; permit lapses at any node trigger holds
  • **0% China VAT export rebate** is structural Beijing aromatic-petrochemical export-discouragement signal (similar to phenol batch 13 + benzene)
  • NOT on Highly Toxic Chemicals Catalog (lighter than phenol batch 13 + formaldehyde batch 18)
  • NOT on Easily-Made Drugs Catalog
  • Major Chinese producers concentrated at coastal Sinopec + CNPC + Hengli + Wanhua + Zhejiang Petrochemical mega-complexes: Sinopec (Yangzi Nanjing, Shanghai Pudong, Maoming Guangdong, Yueyang Hunan), CNPC (Karamay Xinjiang, Jilin, Daqing Heilongjiang), Hengli Petrochemical Dalian (Liaoning), Wanhua Chemical Yantai (Shandong), Zhejiang Petrochemical Zhoushan / ZRCC (Zhejiang)
  • Petroleum reformer route dominates Chinese capacity (~75%); steam-cracker pyrolysis-gasoline ~20%; coal-tar route ~5% (Henan + Shanxi inland coal cluster)
  • BTX chain economics: Chinese reformer + steam-cracker capacity additions drive coupled benzene + toluene + xylene supply growth
  • GACC sometimes blocks shipments if SDS is missing the Chinese-only fields (mainland-China emergency contact, GHS Chinese pictograms)

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for toluene (methylbenzene), see the CAS 108-88-3 sourcing reference.

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

For the structure and history of IECSC, see the IECSC 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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