CAS 64-19-7 · AICIS · Australia

Acetic acid under AICIS

CH3COOH · 醋酸

Status: Listed. Acetic acid is on the AICIS (Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme; replaced NICNAS on 1 July 2020 under the Industrial Chemicals Act 2019, verify against https://www.industrialchemicals.gov.au/about-us/who-we-are-and-what-we-do) Inventory of Industrial Chemicals as a Listed Industrial Chemical. Australia adopted the GHS classification matching REACH (Skin Corr. 1A + Flam. Liq. 3 + Acute Tox. 4 inhalation). **SUSMP Schedule 6 (Poison) applies for retail mixtures above concentration cutoffs**. NOT on Australian Drug Control Act precursor list (acetic anhydride downstream IS scheduled but acetic acid is not). NO active Australian AD/CVD case on Chinese-origin acetic acid. Australia has minimal domestic acetic acid production capacity; imports primarily flow to wine industry (acetic acid for vinegar production), pickling, food processing, textile dyeing, leather tanning, and pharmaceutical industries. ChAFTA preferential zero-duty applies for Chinese-origin imports.

AICIS treats acetic acid as a routine listed industrial chemical with **SUSMP Schedule 6 (Poison) scheduling for retail mixtures**. The operational compliance work is moderate (annual AICIS registration, WHS-compliant SDS, ADG 7.7 Class 8 transport, corrosion-resistant tankage for bulk). NO active Australian AD/CVD case. NOT on Drug Control Act precursor list (lighter than acetic anhydride downstream which IS scheduled). ChAFTA preferential zero-duty makes Chinese-origin acetic acid competitive vs Korean, Taiwanese, Indian alternatives. Australia has **minimal domestic acetic acid production**; imports primarily flow to wine industry vinegar production (Treasury Wine Estates, Pernod Ricard Australia, Accolade Wines), pickling and food processing (Mizkan / Mitsukan, McCormick, Heinz), textile dyeing, leather tanning, pharmaceutical industries (Mayne Pharma, CSL Behring). FSANZ Standard 1.3.4 permits acetic acid as food additive E 260.

Listing and threshold

Substance Acetic acid (CAS 64-19-7), CH3COOH
Regime Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS), administered by the Department of Health
Jurisdiction Australia
Status Listed
Tonnage threshold AICIS introducer registration required for any business introducing >100 kg/year of any industrial chemical

Classifications under this regime

  • Listed Industrial Chemical on AICIS Inventory
  • Australian GHS classification: Flam. Liq. 3 (H226), Skin Corr. 1A (H314), Acute Tox. 4 inhalation (H332)
  • Signal word: DANGER. GHS pictograms: GHS02 + GHS05 + GHS07
  • SUSMP Schedule 6 (Poison) applies for retail mixtures above concentration cutoffs
  • NOT on Australian Drug Control Act precursor list
  • Australian Dangerous Goods Code (ADG 7.7): Class 8 (corrosive), UN 2789 (>80%) / UN 2790 (10-80%), Packing Group II
  • Safe Work Australia workplace exposure standard: 10 ppm 8-hr TWA, 15 ppm STEL
  • NOT classified as carcinogen, mutagen, or reproductive toxicant
  • FSANZ Standard 1.3.4 permits acetic acid as food additive E 260

Restrictions and conditions of use

  • No AICIS-specific use restrictions for industrial-grade acetic acid above concentration cutoffs
  • SUSMP Schedule 6 retail packaging rules apply for retail mixtures
  • No Australian active AD/CVD case on Chinese-origin acetic acid currently
  • WHS Regulation 2011 hazardous-chemicals handling requirements apply at workplaces handling acetic acid bulk above declared thresholds
  • NFPA-equivalent corrosive liquid storage requirements apply for bulk; corrosion-resistant tankage
  • ChAFTA preferential zero-duty applies to Chinese-origin acetic acid (HS 291521)
  • TGA approves acetic acid for limited pharmaceutical-formulation applications under Therapeutic Goods Act 1989
  • FSANZ Standard 1.3.4 permits acetic acid as food additive E 260

Importer obligations

The Australian importer of record must be registered with AICIS (online registration is straightforward and annual). For Listed Industrial Chemicals like acetic acid no individual chemical assessment is required. SUSMP Schedule 6 applies for retail mixtures. Workplace handling SDS drives WHS hazardous-chemicals register entry at handling facilities; corrosion-resistant tankage applies for bulk receipt. Australia has minimal domestic acetic acid production; imports primarily flow to wine industry (Treasury Wine Estates, Pernod Ricard Australia, Accolade Wines for vinegar production), pickling and food processing (Mizkan / Mitsukan Australia, McCormick Foods, Heinz Australia), textile dyeing, leather tanning, and pharmaceutical industries (Mayne Pharma, CSL Behring). ChAFTA preferential zero-duty makes Chinese-origin acetic acid competitive vs Korean (LG Chem Yeosu, Lotte Chemical Yeosu), Taiwanese (Formosa Plastics), and Indian (GNFC, Jubilant Agri & Consumer Products) alternatives.

Required documents

  • AICIS introducer registration certificate (annual)
  • WHS-compliant Safety Data Sheet (Safe Work Australia model code format) reflecting H226 / H314 / H332 classification
  • Customs entry (ICS / ABF) with HS code 291521
  • ChAFTA Form CO certificate of origin for preferential treatment
  • Industrial-grade specification certificate (minimum 99.0% purity)
  • ADG 7.7 Class 8 dangerous-goods transport documentation
  • FSANZ Standard 1.3.4 conformity declaration for food-grade lots

Common compliance traps

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

  • AICIS registration must be CURRENT at customs clearance; lapsed registrations trigger holds
  • WHS hazardous-chemicals register entry required at handling facilities; corrosion-resistant tankage applies for bulk
  • SUSMP Schedule 6 (Poison) scheduling for retail mixtures (parallel to caustic soda batch 1 / KOH batch 17)
  • NOT on Australian Drug Control Act precursor list (lighter than acetic anhydride downstream)
  • No Australian active AD/CVD case currently. Australian Anti-Dumping Commission has had periodic petrochemical-intermediate investigations but no active orders on acetic acid
  • ChAFTA preferential zero-duty makes Chinese-origin acetic acid competitive vs Korean (LG Chem Yeosu, Lotte Chemical Yeosu), Taiwanese (Formosa Plastics), Indian (GNFC, Jubilant) alternatives
  • Australian end-use is dominated by wine industry vinegar production + pickling and food processing + textile dyeing + leather tanning + pharmaceutical industries
  • Major Australian downstream consumers: Treasury Wine Estates, Pernod Ricard Australia, Accolade Wines (wine-industry vinegar), Mizkan / Mitsukan Australia, McCormick Foods, Heinz Australia (food processing)

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for acetic acid, see the CAS 64-19-7 sourcing reference.

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

For the structure and history of AICIS, see the AICIS 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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