Tokyo, Japan – September 25, 2025 – CRAC Japan 2025, themed “Global Compliance of Chemicals and Food Contact Materials – Focusing on China, Europe, the U.S., and Emerging Markets,” convened in Tokyo, gathering international industry leaders and regulatory specialists. The conference provided a platform to discuss compliance challenges, sustainable practices, and market entry strategies for companies operating across diverse regulatory environments worldwide.
Opening Remarks: CRAC Continues a Legacy of Compliance Excellence with Global Collaboration
Mr. Kintan Xu, General Manager of the Industrial Chemical Division at REACH24H Consulting Group, delivered the opening address, highlighting CRAC’s role as a premier international platform connecting compliance topics across chemicals, pesticides, and cosmetics. Mr. Xu emphasized that the CRAC, now in its 17th year, continues to drive industry-wide compliance and sustainability initiatives.
Building on last year’s success in Japan, CRAC Japan 2025 aims to deepen collaboration with local companies and institutions, facilitating information sharing and experience exchange. Through this platform, we seek to jointly tackle green transformation challenges and cross-border compliance complexities, laying the foundation for safer, more efficient, and sustainable industry practices.
China’s Hazardous Chemicals Management: Enforcement and Strategic Guidance
Mr. Jinhe Chen, Expert from the National Registration Center for Chemicals, Ministry of Emergency Management of China, highlighted recent developments in China's hazardous chemical management, noting a stronger focus on systematic enforcement and risk prevention. Regulatory authorities are increasingly emphasizing comprehensive safety oversight, including improved registration procedures, standardized hazard classification, and strict adherence to safety data sheet and labeling requirements.
He also shared practical guidance for companies to navigate compliance challenges and align with the evolving regulatory landscape.
Comprehensive Hazard Identification: Companies involved in the manufacture of basic chemical raw materials, production and import of electronic chemicals, and products containing flammable solvents must systematically conduct a census and identification of hazardous chemicals and establish a comprehensive inventory of hazardous chemicals to mitigate operational risks.
Rigorous Registration Compliance: Clearly define obligations based on company type (production, import, usage, distribution) to prevent legal exposure.
SDS and Label Requirements: Ensure all safety documentation meets national standards and follow the proposed amendments to the Draft of Hazardous Chemicals Safety Law that will embed SDS and Label compliance into statutory responsibilities.
Embrace Digital Regulatory Tools: Implement industrial IoT and lifecycle tracking to enhance intrinsic safety and readiness for digital inspections.
Monitor Legislative Developments: Stay ahead of the upcoming Hazardous Chemicals Safety Law framework to ensure forward-looking compliance strategies.
China’s New Chemical Substance Management: From Policy to Practice
Mr. Qiwei Zhang, Senior Regulatory Consultant at REACH24H Consulting Group, provided insights into the evolving landscape of China’s environmental management of new chemical substances. Following five years of implementation of The Measures for the Environmental Management Registration of New Chemical Substances, regulatory oversight is increasingly integrated across the chemical lifecycle.
Mr. Qiwei Zhang emphasized that the recently proposed Draft Environmental Code elevates new chemical substance management to statutory law, strengthening enforcement authority and penalties. He advised companies to maintain full compliance with registration procedures.
Emerging Market REACH Updates: Ukraine and Brazil
Ms. Beiqi Lu, Senior Regulatory Consultant at REACH24H Consulting Group, discussed regulatory trends in emerging markets. While Ukraine and Brazil adopt frameworks inspired by EU REACH, they differ in implementation pace, system maturity, and enforcement expectations.
Ukraine has adopted the EU REACH framework, but the implementation pace is rapid, creating intense, time-sensitive compliance pressure. Key priorities for businesses include meeting pre-registration deadlines and ensuring timely registration of high-tonnage substances to prevent supply chain disruptions. Additionally, unclear data-sharing mechanisms add complexity to compliance planning.
In Brazil, the regulatory approach integrates elements from both EU REACH and U.S. TSCA frameworks; however, implementation details remain incomplete, and the online registration system is still under development. Companies are advised to prepare for multiple compliance scenarios and adjust registration strategies dynamically as rules and system capabilities evolve.
Ms. Beiqi Lu highlighted strategic recommendations for companies navigating these markets:
Targeted Planning: Initiate pre-registration for Ukraine REACH, monitor high-tonnage substance deadlines. For Brazil REACH, complete substance screening as early as possible, clarify the exemption scope and registration list, and reserve time for subsequent response.
Dynamic Regulatory Tracking: Follow updates from Ukraine’s MEPR and Brazil’s CONASQ, leveraging industry associations for policy alerts.
Strengthen Local Partnerships: Collaborate with local compliance partners or Only Representatives to reduce information asymmetry and improve response efficiency.
India’s Mandatory BIS Certification for Chemicals
India’s Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) serves as the country’s central regulatory authority for product compliance, steadily expanding the scope of mandatory certifications and tightening enforcement. This approach has created a structured market access framework for companies seeking entry into India.
BIS implements three main certification schemes:
Scheme I (ISI Mark): Covering construction materials, chemicals, and other products.
Scheme II (Compulsory Registration Scheme, CRS): Targeting IT equipment and electrical/electronic products.
Scheme X (Overall Technical Regulations, OTR): Focused on emerging sectors such as photovoltaics and batteries.
To effectively manage these challenges, Mr. DAICHI KAWAWA, Senior Regulatory Consultant from REACH24H JAPAN, advised companies to:
Identify certification obligations early and determine whether products fall within the mandatory scope.
Establish regulatory tracking systems to monitor Quality Control Orders (QCOs) and other updates.
Optimize resources for documentation, testing, and local representation.
Integrate certification costs into overall supply chain management to ensure coordinated compliance.
Leverage BIS certification strategically to enhance brand credibility and market differentiation.
Global Trends in Food Contact Material Regulations: China, Europe, and the U.S.
As global attention to food safety intensifies, regulations on food contact materials (FCMs) are becoming increasingly stringent, particularly concerning emerging high-risk substances such as PFAS and bisphenol A. Companies operating across China, Europe, and the U.S. must understand the regulatory differences among these major markets and establish forward-looking compliance systems.
The three regions differ in definitions, regulatory frameworks, positive list systems, and new substance registration processes, creating practical challenges for businesses. Key obstacles include:
High Compliance Costs: New substance registrations often require migration testing and multiple toxicological studies, leading to long preparation timelines and significant investment.
Strict Declaration of Compliance (DoC) Requirements: Compliance documentation must be transmitted throughout the supply chain, demanding robust traceability and management systems.
Significant Market Access Barriers: Independent regulatory frameworks across markets result in repeated compliance obligations, increasing the operational cost of global distribution.
To address these challenges, Mr. Tiangu Yuan, General Manager of REACH24H JAPAN, advised companies to:
Monitor Regulatory Updates: Stay abreast of evolving FCM regulations in all major markets to ensure ongoing compliance.
Integrate Compliance Early: Conduct ingredient screening and positive list checks during product development to reduce the need for later adjustments.
Strengthen Documentation Systems: Maintain organized technical dossiers, testing reports, and DoCs to facilitate regulatory review.
Enhance Supply Chain Coordination: Work closely with suppliers to ensure transparent sourcing and comprehensive documentation.
Conclusion: Strengthening Global Compliance Resilience
CRAC Japan 2025 successfully provided actionable guidance to Japanese and international companies navigating global chemical compliance challenges. By addressing regulatory developments in established markets such as China, the EU, and the US, alongside emerging regions like Ukraine, Brazil, and India, the forum empowered companies to build resilient compliance strategies, optimize market access, and strengthen competitive advantage.
The journey of CRAC 2025 continues in Singapore, where the spotlight will be on Asia Pacific Chemical Compliance & Sustainable Development. The event will continue to serve as a platform to navigate complex regional regulations, share sustainability best practices, and drive industry-wide progress across the Asia-Pacific market.
About CRAC
Since 2009, the Chemical Regulatory Annual Conference (CRAC) has brought together global forces for 17 consecutive years to build industry dialogue, invite global government agencies, industry experts, and business representatives to discuss global chemical management trends, exchange international advanced management experience, and extend to sub-sectors such as pesticides, disinfectants, cosmetics, food contact materials, pharmaceuticals, green and low-carbon sectors, and promote green, safe, and sustainable development of the industry, injecting new vitality into the benign development of the industry.
Over the years, CRAC has established partnerships with renowned institutions such as the Helsinki Chemicals Forum (HCF), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the European Commission (EC), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and more. Notably, CRAC has attracted distinguished global government agencies and associations to its events, including the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, the Ministry of Emergency Management of China, the Ministry of Transport of China, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, the European Chemicals Agency, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institute of Environmental Research of South Korea, and many other government agencies and organizations.
CRAC Organizer: About REACH24H
Established in 2009, REACH24H Consulting Group specializes in delivering comprehensive global market access services to companies operating in various sectors such as industrial chemicals, agrochemicals, disinfectants, cosmetics, food, packaging materials, pharmaceuticals, and automobiles.
Our diverse team comprises technical experts and international trade specialists based at our headquarters in Hangzhou, China, as well as branches in the US, the UK, Ireland, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore. Through strategic networking with businesses, associations, and government authorities across regions, we stay ahead of compliance needs, ensuring comprehensive solutions and proactive planning.
With a 24-hour global consulting service network and a team of technical experts, REACH24H helps enterprises and high-quality products take the initiative to trade, improving their understanding of technical barriers and assisting international trade departments and businesses to move from passive to active in the global market. Our extensive track record boasts successful assistance to over 15,000 companies worldwide, enabling them to navigate the global market seamlessly and bypass technical trade barriers.
