CAS 50-00-0 · IECSC · People's Republic of China

Formaldehyde under IECSC

CH2O · 甲醛

Status: Listed. Formaldehyde is on the IECSC public portion as a foundational organic chemical. New-substance notification under MEE Decree No. 7 (2010) is NOT required. **Formaldehyde IS on China's Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals** (Carc 1B + Muta 2 + Acute Tox. 3 + Skin Corr. 1B + Skin Sens 1 classification matching EU REACH harmonised). **Formaldehyde IS on China's Highly Toxic Chemicals Catalog**: heaviest-compliance substance in dataset alongside phenol batch 13 because Public Security Bureau supervision, traceability, training, inventory-control all required at every node in export chain. NOT on Easily-Made Drugs Precursor Chemicals Catalog. **0% China VAT export rebate** for formaldehyde (HS 291211): Beijing has reduced rebate to discourage exports of high-emissions production. China dominates global capacity (~60-70%, ~30-35 Mt/yr formaldehyde 37% solution equivalent).

Formaldehyde is comfortably IECSC-listed but IS on **BOTH the Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals AND the Highly Toxic Chemicals Catalog** (heaviest-compliance substance in the dataset alongside phenol batch 13). Public Security Bureau supervision + Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit chain dual-permit overhead. **0% China VAT export rebate** is structural Beijing carbon / emissions signal against export of high-emissions production (reduced from 13%). China dominates global capacity (~60-70%, ~30-35 Mt/yr formaldehyde 37% solution equivalent) led by Sinopec Beijing + Sinopec Yanshan, Wansheng Chemical Anhui, Wanhua Chemical Yantai, Liuyang Chemical Industrial Park (Hunan), Henan Shenma Industrial Park, Hebei Yan-style cluster. Methanol oxidation route is dominant (~95%, Fe-Mo catalyst). **Methanol feedstock cost (batch 3) is dominant** (~40-50% of formaldehyde production cost). MEE 2024 guidance restricts new coal-fed capacity; preference for gas-fed low-emission routes. Capacity additions 2024-2026 extend Chinese dominance toward ~70-75% but with preference for low-emission grades suitable for EU Annex XVII Restriction 77 (effective August 2026) and US TSCA Section 6 risk-management rule (expected 2026-2027).

Listing and threshold

Substance Formaldehyde (CAS 50-00-0), CH2O
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
  • **Listed in China's Highly Toxic Chemicals Catalog** (Public Security Bureau supervision; same level as phenol batch 13)
  • NOT on the Easily-Made Drugs Precursor Chemicals Catalog
  • GB/T 9009-2011 specification applies for industrial-grade formaldehyde solution (Chinese national standard)
  • GB/T 9009-2011 covers minimum 37% formaldehyde content (industrial-grade), water content, methanol content, formic acid content, density
  • GACC export classification: HS 291211 (formaldehyde 37% solution / formalin)
  • China dominates global capacity (~60-70%, ~30-35 Mt/yr formaldehyde 37% solution equivalent); ~95% via methanol oxidation route (~99% Fe-Mo catalyst, ~1% Ag catalyst)
  • GB 6944-2012 dangerous-goods transport classification: Class 8 (corrosive), UN 1198 / 2209 / 1199
  • GB 18582-2008 emission limits for interior wall coatings; GB 18584-2001 emission limits for furniture; GB 18580-2017 emission limits for wood panels

Restrictions and conditions of use

  • **Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit IS required** for any party producing, storing, or distributing formaldehyde
  • **Highly Toxic Chemicals Public Security Bureau permit chain** required for production / storage / distribution
  • Hazardous Chemicals Road Transport Permit required for road shipment of bulk formaldehyde
  • Customs Inspection Order routinely applies for export consignments
  • No specific export-restriction or quota system applies (unlike urea / DAP fertilisers)
  • **0% China VAT export rebate** for formaldehyde (HS 291211); reduced from 13% to discourage exports of high-emissions production. Reduction reflects Beijing aromatic-petrochemical export-discouragement signal
  • GB/T 17519 Chinese-language SDS required for domestic distribution
  • MEE 2024 guidance restricts new coal-fed formaldehyde capacity; preference for gas-fed routes
  • Chinese capacity additions 2024-2026 (Wansheng Chemical Anhui Phase 2, Wanhua Chemical Yantai expansion, Liuyang Chemical Industrial Park) extend dominance toward ~70-75% but with preference for low-emission grades

Importer obligations

For Chinese-origin formaldehyde 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 Highly Toxic Chemicals Public Security Bureau supervision chain (operator registration + traceability + training + inventory-control), the GB/T 17519 Chinese-language SDS, and ADG 7.7 Class 8 transport documentation. **Highly Toxic Chemicals + Hazardous Chemicals dual-permit chain is the heaviest compliance overhead** in the dataset (alongside phenol batch 13). Major Chinese producers (Sinopec Beijing + Sinopec Yanshan, Wansheng Chemical Anhui, Wanhua Chemical Yantai, Liuyang Chemical Industrial Park, Henan Shenma Industrial Park) compete with EU domestic producers (Hexion / Borden, BASF, Synthomer / Baltic Industries), US domestic producers (Hexion, GP Chemicals, Bakelite Synthetics, Arclin), and Korean producers (Korean Chemical Yeosu, Hyosung Chemical, Songwon Industrial).

Required documents

  • GACC export declaration with HS code 291211 (formaldehyde 37% solution / formalin)
  • Industrial-grade certificate per GB/T 9009-2011 (minimum 37% formaldehyde content)
  • 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)
  • **Highly Toxic Chemicals Public Security Bureau permit chain documentation**
  • Hazardous Chemicals Road Transport Permit (where road-shipped from inland producers)
  • GB 6944-2012 Class 8 dangerous-goods transport documentation
  • Producer-specific GB 18582 / GB 18584 / GB 18580 emission-limit conformity declaration for downstream finished-article exports

Common compliance traps

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

  • **Highly Toxic Chemicals + Hazardous Chemicals dual-permit chain is the heaviest compliance overhead in the dataset** (alongside phenol batch 13)
  • **0% China VAT export rebate** is structural Beijing carbon / emissions signal against export of high-emissions production. Verify before invoicing
  • **Highly Toxic Chemicals Public Security Bureau supervision** parallel to Hazardous Chemicals chain; both chains must be maintained for export
  • Major Chinese producers concentrated in Sinopec coastal + Wansheng Anhui + Wanhua Yantai Shandong + Liuyang Hunan + Henan Shenma + Hebei Yan-style cluster. China dominates global capacity (~60-70%)
  • Methanol oxidation route is dominant (~95%); Fe-Mo catalyst process accounts for ~99% of capacity, Ag catalyst process ~1%
  • Coal-fed Chinese formaldehyde production carries higher embedded CO2 vs gas-fed alternatives; CBAM Phase 2 candidate
  • Methanol feedstock cost layer is dominant (~40-50% of formaldehyde production cost). Methanol economics (batch 3) flow through to formaldehyde economics structurally
  • GACC sometimes blocks shipments if SDS is missing the Chinese-only fields (mainland-China emergency contact, GHS Chinese pictograms, Chinese Highly Toxic Chemicals registration number)

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for formaldehyde, see the CAS 50-00-0 sourcing reference.

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