AICIS chemical inventory checker
Confirm the AICIS listing before the supplier wires the chemical.
Preview · example result
One row in the 317-substance index. The status field does not say listed, and it does not clear the introduction.
Dichloromethane · CAS 75-09-2
Open the AICIS inventory search →Pro members only
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The preview above runs against the 317-substance AICIS seed bundled with the live tool. The paid plans, from USD 59 a month, unlock the interactive checker (paste any CAS or chemical name, get AICIS listing status + use restrictions + categorised-introduction guidance) alongside the FX converter, the landed-cost calculator, the DFAT sanctions screener, the LC document checker and the AD duty AU lookup.
Pro is for the importer who carries new SKUs every quarter and wants the AICIS gate cleared on the qualification call, not at clearance. Cancel anytime from /account.
Worked example: isopropanol from a Tianjin supplier
A new SKU lands on Sean's desk: 5 IBC totes a quarter of isopropanol (IPA) from a Tianjin supplier, intended for an existing manufacturing line. The supplier has the COA, the SDS, and the bulk price beats the incumbent by 14 percent. The buyer rings to lock the contract; the question that needs answering first is the AICIS gate.
Search "67-63-0" or "isopropanol" in the box above and the result panel returns the CAS, the chemical name, the formula C3H7OH, common uses (disinfectant, electronics cleaning, solvent), and the inline source URL back to the AICIS Inventory search. The buyer clicks through, runs the live AICIS search, confirms the substance is on the Inventory with the conditions that apply to the specific introduction category (in this case, solvent for industrial manufacturing), and now has a primary-source clearance to put in the supplier file. The contract proceeds. The compliance gate is cleared before the wire.
The fix is the same call. Every new SKU from any new supplier starts at the AICIS lookup, then runs the live Inventory search, then captures a PDF of the listing into the supplier file. When the broker asks at clearance time, the answer is on file. When the next shipment of the same SKU comes through, the answer is still on file. No surprises at the wharf.
Frequently asked
What is the difference between AICIS and the old NICNAS scheme?
AICIS replaced NICNAS on 1 July 2020 under the Industrial Chemicals Act 2019. The introduction obligations changed materially: introducers now self-categorise into one of five risk tiers (very low risk listed, very low risk reported, low risk reported, medium-to-high risk assessed, and exempted) and lodge online accordingly. The Inventory itself carried over: substances on the NICNAS Australian Inventory of Chemical Substances at 30 June 2020 became the starting AICIS Inventory. New substances introduced after that date join through the categorised introduction path and only get listed once five years of unconditional introduction have passed.
What does it mean for an introduction if a chemical is on the AICIS Inventory?
A listed substance can generally be introduced without categorisation under the Inventory listing test, subject to any conditions of introduction on the listing. The conditions can be substantial: some Inventory entries restrict the introduction to a specific use category, set concentration limits, or require notification when the use changes. Always pull the actual Inventory record before introducing in volume; the listing status alone is the first check, not the last.
My chemical does not return a match in the lookup. Does that mean it is not on AICIS?
No. The lookup indexes 317 common industrial chemicals; the full AICIS Inventory holds tens of thousands of substances. A non-match here means the chemical is not in the curated index, not that it is not on the Inventory. The next step is the AICIS Inventory search at industrialchemicals.gov.au, which returns every listed substance and any conditions. If the AICIS search returns nothing for the CAS, the introduction goes through the categorised-introduction path rather than the Inventory listing test.
How does the AICIS check fit alongside REACH, TSCA, and IECSC?
Each jurisdiction maintains its own inventory and registration rules. A chemical can be on the AICIS Inventory but not on REACH (or vice versa); the EU and the US chemicals law each operate independently. For a cross-jurisdiction substance audit before booking a multi-destination shipment, the regulatory matrix at /regulatory/{cas}/{regime} surfaces the listing status across all five major regimes for any CAS. The AICIS check is the AU-side compliance gate; it does not substitute for the destination-side check on the buyer's side.
What if the supplier sells the chemical in a mixture rather than as a pure substance?
AICIS applies to each individual industrial chemical in the mixture, not the mixture as a whole. The introducer needs the listing status of every component above the relevant concentration threshold; the supplier should provide the SDS Section 3 composition breakdown with CAS numbers. Search each CAS independently. If any single component is not on the Inventory and not exempt, the categorised-introduction path applies to that component regardless of the rest of the mixture.
Related tools
Need the same CAS checked against REACH, TSCA, IECSC, and K-REACH, not just AICIS? The cross-jurisdiction regulatory matrix walks every regime for any substance in the catalogue at /regulatory/{cas}/{regime}.
Drafting the safety data sheet for the substance you are introducing? The SDS generator builds the 16-section skeleton in GHS, EU CLP, and OSHA HCS 2024 conventions at /tools/sds-generator.
Once the AICIS gate is cleared, the supplier's anti-dumping exposure sits at the AD duty AU lookup, and the full duty-inclusive rebuild is at the AU landed cost calculator.
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Sourzi shows what official files say. It is not customs or legal advice. For a binding answer, ask a licensed customs broker, a CBP ruling or an Australian Border Force Tariff Advice.
File dates and links are on Data sources.