CAS 67-56-1 · K-REACH · Republic of Korea

Methanol under K-REACH

CH3OH · 甲醇

Status: Restricted. Methanol is registered under K-REACH and listed as a Priority Existing Chemical (PEC). Methanol is ALSO regulated under the parallel Toxic Chemicals Control Act (TCCA, 화학물질관리법) which sits alongside K-REACH and applies the more restrictive precursor and accident-prevention framework. Korean importers handling bulk methanol above thresholds must hold both K-REACH registration AND a Toxic Chemicals Handling Permit from the Ministry of Environment.

Korea applies the TCCA overlay to methanol, similar to sulfuric acid; the China-Korea methanol lane is structurally substantial because Korean MTO and downstream petrochemical demand at LG Chem, Hyosung, and Lotte Chemical sites is bulk consumer. Every Korean buyer holds the TCCA Toxic Chemicals Handling Permit in-house and the CAPP plan, so the export side just needs to provide the K-REACH-compliant documentation pack and the China-Korea FTA Form CO. New Korean buyers without TCCA permit-in-hand cannot accept bulk methanol; verify the buyer's permit status before invoicing. Korean LCFS-equivalent rules increasingly favour Middle East gas-route methanol over Chinese coal-route methanol for fuel-blending applications.

Listing and threshold

Substance Methanol (CAS 67-56-1), CH3OH
Regime Korea Act on the Registration and Evaluation of Chemicals (Act No. 11789, "K-REACH" amended 2018)
Jurisdiction Republic of Korea
Status Restricted
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). TCCA Toxic Chemicals Handling Permit thresholds vary by use-class.

Classifications under this regime

  • Korean GHS classification: Acute Tox. 3 (oral, dermal, inhalation), Flam. Liq. 2, STOT SE 1 (eyes)
  • Korea Occupational Safety and Health Act (KOSHA) workplace exposure standard: TWA 200 ppm with skin notation
  • Korea TCCA Toxic Chemicals list: methanol is included (the TCCA overlay catches the same substances scheduled under DEA List I in the US framework)
  • Korean Customs Service (KCS) HS code: 29051100
  • Listed in K-REACH database under "general industrial use with TCCA overlay"
  • Korea Drug Management Act: methanol is a Type 2 listed precursor (마약류 관리에 관한 법률); distribution chain reporting requirements apply

Restrictions and conditions of use

  • TCCA Toxic Chemicals Handling Permit (유독물질취급허가) required for storage and sale above thresholds
  • TCCA Chemical Accident Prevention Plan (CAPP, 화학사고예방관리계획) required for sites above accident-risk threshold
  • Korea Industrial Safety and Health Act (KOSHA) MSDS in Korean required at workplace
  • Korea Customs Service requires K-REACH registration number plus TCCA permit verification on import declaration
  • Korea Drug Management Act Type 2 distribution-chain reporting
  • Korean LCFS-equivalent low-carbon fuel standards apply for methanol-as-fuel applications (separate from K-REACH but interactive at downstream end)

Importer obligations

The Korean importer of record must hold K-REACH registration in their own name or rely on an Only Representative (OR). For methanol specifically, the TCCA Toxic Chemicals Handling Permit is the practitioner-facing layer that catches new importers; K-REACH registration alone is insufficient. The TCCA permit must be in hand at the destination handling facility before customs releases bulk shipments. The CAPP (Chemical Accident Prevention Plan) is required for industrial-scale storage at typical chemical-park concentrations.

Required documents

  • K-REACH registration number on Korean side (registrant or OR-appointed)
  • TCCA Toxic Chemicals Handling Permit (유독물질취급허가) at destination facility
  • Chemical Accident Prevention Plan (CAPP) submitted and approved for industrial-scale storage
  • Korean-language MSDS compliant with Korean GHS
  • Korea Drug Management Act distribution-chain report (Type 2 precursor)
  • Korean Customs Service (KCS) declaration with HS code 29051100
  • China-Korea FTA Form CO certificate of origin for preferential treatment

Common compliance traps

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

  • TCCA permit is per-facility, per-handler: the manufacturer, importer, distributor, and end-user chain each need the permit at their address; brokers without facility addresses cannot satisfy TCCA
  • K-REACH registration alone is insufficient for methanol; the TCCA overlay is the binding constraint, not K-REACH
  • CAPP (Chemical Accident Prevention Plan) is reviewed and approved by the Ministry of Environment; turnaround can take 60-90 days for a new site
  • Korean GHS hazard-statement codes use H-codes mapped to Korean translations; SDS in English-only is rejected at workplace inspection
  • TCCA penalties for handling without permit are severe: 10 years imprisonment maximum, KRW 100M (~USD 75,000) fines
  • Korean LCFS-equivalent rules apply for methanol-as-fuel (downstream MTO and biodiesel applications); coal-route Chinese methanol carries higher carbon-intensity score than Middle East gas-route alternatives
  • China-Korea FTA preferential zero-duty treatment requires Form CO from the Chinese exporter

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for methanol, see the CAS 67-56-1 sourcing reference.

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

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Cross-jurisdiction profile and sourcing references

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