CAS 98-82-8 · IECSC · People's Republic of China

Cumene (isopropylbenzene) under IECSC

C9H12 · 异丙苯 / 枯烯

Status: Listed. Cumene is on the IECSC public portion as a foundational benzene-Hock-chain monomer. New-substance notification under MEE Decree No. 7 (2010) is NOT required. **Cumene IS on China's Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals** (Asp. Tox. 1 plus Flam. Liq. 3 plus Aquatic Chronic 2 classification matching EU REACH harmonised). Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit IS required for production / storage / distribution. NOT on Highly Toxic Chemicals Catalog. NOT on Easily-Made Drugs Catalog. **0% China VAT export rebate** for cumene (HS 290270) reflects Beijing aromatic-petrochemical export-discouragement signal (similar to benzene batch 22 plus phenol batch 13 plus toluene batch 20 plus xylene batch 21 plus styrene batch 25 pattern). China dominates global cumene capacity (verify percent-of-global share against ICIS or S&P Commodity Insights before quoting; prior industry reports cited approximately 35 percent at ~5 to 6 Mt/yr).

Cumene is comfortably IECSC-listed but IS on Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals (Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit chain required). NOT on Highly Toxic Chemicals Catalog. NOT on Easily-Made Drugs Catalog. **0% China VAT export rebate** is structural Beijing aromatic-petrochemical export-discouragement signal. China dominates global cumene capacity led by Sinopec multi-site, CNPC, Hengyi Petrochemical, Wanhua Chemical Yantai, Jiangsu Lihuayi. **Cumene-Hock process route to phenol batch 13 plus acetone batch 15 joint-product chain dominates** (~95 percent of cumene demand globally).

Listing and threshold

Substance Cumene (isopropylbenzene) (CAS 98-82-8), C9H12
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
  • GB/T 3727-2014 specification framework (Chinese national standard; verify the current cumene-specific GB / GB-T standard at https://www.codeofchina.com/ before relying)
  • GB/T 17519-2013 Chinese-language SDS standard applies
  • GACC export classification: HS 290270 (cumene)
  • GB 6944-2012 dangerous-goods transport classification: Class 3 (flammable liquid), UN 1918

Restrictions and conditions of use

  • **Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit IS required**
  • Hazardous Chemicals Road Transport Permit required
  • **0% China VAT export rebate** for cumene (HS 290270); reflects Beijing aromatic-petrochemical export-discouragement signal
  • GB/T 17519 Chinese-language SDS required for domestic distribution

Importer obligations

For Chinese-origin cumene exported abroad, no IECSC obligation falls on the foreign importer. Cumene is structurally captive within integrated phenol-acetone plants in most Chinese producers (cumene-Hock chain). Major Chinese producers: Sinopec multi-site, CNPC, Hengyi Petrochemical, Wanhua Chemical Yantai, Jiangsu Lihuayi (verify each producer-site pair against the producer's public website before relying on a specific plant).

Required documents

  • GACC export declaration with HS code 290270
  • Industrial-grade specification certificate
  • GHS-compliant SDS in Simplified Chinese per GB/T 17519-2013
  • Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit chain documentation
  • 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**
  • **0% China VAT export rebate** is structural Beijing aromatic-petrochemical export-discouragement signal
  • NOT on Highly Toxic Chemicals Catalog (lighter than benzene batch 22 plus phenol batch 13 plus formaldehyde batch 18 plus aniline batch 26)
  • NOT on Easily-Made Drugs Catalog
  • Major Chinese producers concentrated at Sinopec plus CNPC plus Hengyi plus Wanhua plus Lihuayi mega-complexes integrated to phenol batch 13 plus acetone batch 15 chain
  • Production: benzene batch 22 plus propylene batch 53 Friedel-Crafts alkylation (~99 percent globally)
  • **Cumene-Hock chain dominates** (~95 percent of cumene demand globally to phenol batch 13 plus acetone batch 15 joint-product chain)

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for cumene (isopropylbenzene), see the CAS 98-82-8 sourcing reference.

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

For the structure and history of IECSC, see the IECSC glossary entry.

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Read next

Cross-jurisdiction profile and sourcing references

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