Singapore, October 16, 2025 – The 17th Chemical Regulatory Annual Conference (CRAC 2025) wrapped up its highly successful third stop in Singapore on October 15-16, 2025. Organized by REACH24H Consulting Group and supported by the Singapore Chemical Industry Council (SCIC), this pivotal event gathered over 70 representatives from key regulatory bodies, government officials, industry organizations, and businesses.
The two‑day forum featured in‑depth discussions on chemical management policies across key markets—including China, Japan, Korea, and the ASEAN region—as well as updates on the latest developments in GHS and EPR systems. Experts also exchanged insights on emerging topics such as green chemistry and sustainable development, equipping companies with forward‑looking strategies to seize new growth opportunities in an increasingly dynamic regulatory landscape.
Opening Remarks: From Singapore — Building a Safer, Greener, and More Collaborative Future for the Chemical Industry
In his opening speech, Mr. Fangwei Hong, Chairman and General Manager of REACH24H Consulting Group, highlighted Singapore’s strategic role as Asia’s chemical hub. Following the establishment of REACH24H’s Southeast Asia headquarters in Singapore in 2023, the company has accelerated its regional services and global supply chain integration. Mr. Hong emphasized that CRAC 2025 Singapore serves as a collaborative platform uniting governments, industry, and academia to co-develop solutions that advance safety, sustainability, and responsible innovation across the chemical sector.
Ms. Cissie Yeung, representing the Singapore Chemical Industry Council (SCIC), stressed the importance of cross-sector collaboration during the region’s pivotal green transition. She called on policymakers, enterprises, and trade bodies to jointly foster a more resilient and inclusive compliance ecosystem—one that aligns regulatory coordination, technological advancement, and circular economy principles to support sustainable growth and regional competitiveness. She underscored Singapore’s strategic role in advancing dialogue and expertise-sharing, helping companies seize new opportunities under sustainability-driven frameworks.
Asia’s Chemical Management: From Reactive Control to Proactive, Life-Cycle Governance
Across Asia’s major economies, chemical environmental management is evolving from a reactive approach toward proactive prevention and full life-cycle governance. Each country is developing its own increasingly stringent regulatory framework, tailored to national industrial structures and risk profiles, collectively driving the region toward a more scientific, refined, and internationally harmonized management system.
China: Strengthening Life-Cycle and Risk-Based Oversight with MEE Order No. 12
After more than two decades of development, China’s chemical management system has entered a mature phase centered on prevention and life-cycle control. Dr. Lei Wang, Director of Chemicals Research Laboratory at Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, highlighted the Measures for the Environmental Management Registration of New Chemical Substances (Order No. 12) as a landmark policy in this regulatory shift. Order No. 12 implements differentiated controls based on tonnage, use, persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity—aiming to curb the creation and spread of new pollutants at the source.
Ms. Wang noted that China has now established an integrated “screening–evaluation–control” life-cycle management framework, supported by ongoing legal improvement, updated technical guidelines, and enhanced enforcement capacity—all contributing to more robust oversight of emerging contaminants and new chemical substances.
China: Continuous Enhancement of Hazardous Chemicals Safety Management
Mr. Jinhe Chen, Expert at National Registration Center for Chemicals, Ministry of Emergency Management of China (NRCC), emphasized that China's Regulations on the Control over Safety of Hazardous Chemicals (Decree No.591) forms the legal foundation for chemical safety governance, while the registration system serves as a critical information base for accident prevention and emergency response. In alignment with China’s Three-Year Action Plan for Fundamental Improvements in Workplace Safety, nationwide inspections are now underway—focusing on hazard identification and classification, registration integrity, and the compliance of safety data sheets (SDS) and GHS labeling. Together, these efforts mark a decisive step toward data-driven risk control and safer chemical supply chain management.
Taiwan, China: Building a Risk-Based Classification and Advancing a Dual-Track Registration Regime
Ms. YaHui Ni, General Manager of the Environmental Resource & Information Co., Ltd. , introduced Taiwan’s comprehensive classification‑based chemical management framework centered on the Toxic and Concerned Chemical Substances Control Act. The system covers toxic chemical substances and concerned chemical substances, requiring operators to obtain relevant permits, registrations, or notifications in accordance with their business activities. She emphasized that companies must also fulfill labeling obligations, provide Safety Data Sheets (SDS), and ensure proper personnel training to maintain effective operational compliance.
According to Mr. Ray Huang, General Manager of REACH24H Taiwan, the dual-track registration regime for new and existing chemicals is entering a key phase. From 2024 to 2025, authorities will prioritize the standard registration of 106 existing “priority substances,” requiring detailed hazard and exposure assessments—significantly reinforcing source-based risk control in Taiwan’s chemical oversight system.
Japan: Expanding Risk Scope and Promoting Corporate Safety Management
Mr. Sugio Nishimura, General Manager of the Japan Chemical Industry Association (JCIA), explained that Japan’s comprehensive regulatory network is built around the Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL), complemented by the Industrial Safety and Health Act (ISHA) and the PRTR Law. Under CSCL, Japan operates a dual-track approach—screening new substances before market entry and continuously managing existing substances through tiered evaluation and restrictions based on persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity.
In the occupational safety domain, recent ISHA revisions expanded the mandatory SDS and labeling list from 674 to nearly 2,900 GHS-classified hazardous substances. The new framework also mandates risk assessment and exposure control, shifting the country’s approach from case-by-case management toward enterprise-led risk management—a significant advance in proactive workplace safety governance.
South Korea: K-REACH and CCA Reforms - A Shift Toward More Precise, Data-Centric Chemical Oversight
According to Mr. Ire Kim, Senior Manager at the Korea Petroleum Association, South Korea completed major 2024 amendments to both the Act on Registration and Evaluation, etc. of Chemical Substances (K-REACH) and the Chemical Control Act (CCA), representing a major step toward a more scientific and data-centric risk management model.
The updated K-REACH and CCA refine the notification process for new substances, broaden data acceptance criteria, and introduce the new category of “unidentified hazard substances,” ensuring more targeted management for substances with incomplete datasets. For existing substances, regulators moved away from a sole reliance on GHS classification—now applying differentiated control measures based on acute, chronic, and ecological hazard attributes. This reform, Mr. Kim noted, enables a more precise and efficient implementation of risk management across Korea’s chemical sector.
Southeast Asia’s Emerging Markets: Evolving Chemical Regulations and Certification Dynamics
As global supply chains continue to shift, Southeast Asia has become an increasingly pivotal region for industrial diversification and regulatory development. Countries such as Vietnam, India, the Philippines, and Indonesia are modernizing their chemical regulatory frameworks and product certification systems, setting clearer and more stringent standards for market access.
Vietnam: Refining Chemical Oversight and Building Local Capacity
Vietnam is steadily establishing a more comprehensive chemical management framework through its new Chemicals Law and supporting regulations. Mr. Do Thanh Bai, President of the Vietnam Responsible Care Council, advised multinational companies to closely monitor Vietnam’s evolving requirements in chemical classification, labeling, and risk assessment to formulate early compliance strategies. He emphasized that aligning with Vietnam’s green development goals, strengthening supply-chain diversification, and investing in local technical capacity will be essential to capture Vietnam’s growing strategic role in global manufacturing.
India: Strengthening BIS Certification and Compliance Continuity
India continues to expand its mandatory certification regime under the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) framework. Currently, 69 chemical substances fall under Scheme I—covering products such as acetic acid, methanol, acrylonitrile, and PVC—with an additional three chemicals under Scheme II mandatory registration. Mr. Aman Sharma, Global Regulatory Affairs Consultant at REACH24H Consulting Group, advised companies to clearly determine applicable certification categories before submission, systematically organize technical documentation, and ensure laboratory calibration validity. Post-certification, he recommended maintaining consistent export records, updating the MANAKonline system, and implementing routine policy tracking to manage possible expansions of the certification scope.
Philippines: Establishing Lifecycle Regulation and Digital Compliance
The Philippines regulates chemicals under the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act (R.A. 6969), establishing a lifecycle-based system through the Philippine Inventory of Chemicals and Chemical Substances (PICCS), the Priority Chemicals List (PCL), and Chemical Control Orders (CCO). Engr. Roland Omar C. Tamani, an Intermediate Engineer from the Environmental Management Bureau, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-EMB), announced upcoming plans to include chemicals such as vinyl chloride and benzene under future CCO controls. He encouraged enterprises to leverage the Online Permitting and Monitoring System (OPMS) for declarations, prepare compliant test data and SDS materials in advance, and establish sustainable internal compliance mechanisms.
Indonesia: Developing a Fully-Fledged Halal Certification System
Since implementing the Halal Product Assurance Law, Indonesia has developed a full-fledged Halal certification system requiring nearly all products in circulation—except for exemptions—to obtain certification. Mr. Muhammad Wahyu Arif, the Staff Member of Halal Certification Directorate, Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Produk Halal (BPJPH), recommended that companies plan compliance pathways early, aligning certification preparations with product composition and technical documentation.
From an operational perspective, Mr. Ade Suherman, Halal Auditor Management Manager at Lembaga Pengkajian Pangan, Obat Obatan, dan Kosmetika (LPPOM), noted that the Halal certification process—covering preparation, registration, audit, and approval—typically takes 20–26 working days. To overcome common challenges such as incomplete documentation or misaligned management systems, he suggested securing top‑management support, organizing annual training, monitoring policy updates, and engaging professional service providers to improve efficiency and ensure certification continuity.
Sustainability and Compliance: New Perspectives Across the Asia-Pacific
Mr. Fabien Henry, Regulatory Affairs Manager of South-East Asia at Nickel Institute, moderated the session. Under his guidance, experts and delegates explored how sustainability policies are evolving across the Asia-Pacific region—from policy innovation to corporate implementation—offering new perspectives on balancing environmental goals with regulatory compliance.
Decarbonisation Policy: From Risk to Response
Carbon policies are advancing worldwide at an unprecedented pace and scale. China’s national carbon market now covers the steel, cement, and aluminum industries—representing around 8 billion tons of CO₂ equivalent emissions. Emerging economies such as Malaysia and India have introduced domestic carbon pricing frameworks, reflecting the region’s growing commitment to low‑carbon transition. Against this backdrop, Dr. Daniel Lee, Associate Professor at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), encouraged companies to adopt internal carbon pricing and scenario analysis to enhance strategic resilience, integrating carbon costs directly into investment planning and enterprise risk management.
He emphasized that businesses can systematically lower value‑chain carbon footprints by partnering with suppliers on joint emission‑reduction targets, optimizing procurement structure, and co‑developing low‑carbon products. Dr. Lee also stressed the importance of customer engagement—helping buyers understand the full value of green products in terms of sustainability, quality, and cost—to effectively capture a “green premium” in competitive markets.
GHS Developments: From Policy Updates to Practical Implementation
As the global carbon agenda deepens, chemical management systems are evolving to embed environmental responsibility into compliance frameworks. The UN GHS 11th Revision, issued in September 2025, introduces a classification for substances and mixtures that are hazardous by contributing to global warming. The Asia‑Pacific region is moving swiftly to align:
China – Updating national GHS standards, strengthening SDS and label review, alongside the introduction of a QR‑code‑based digital traceability system for hazardous chemicals. Under this measure, companies are required to generate a unique QR code for each type of hazardous chemical, enabling precise data transmission across production, storage, and transportation stages.
Singapore – Updating its GHS standards (SS 586) and simplifying label requirements for small packages.
Japan – Expanding SDS notification requirements and introducing an “alternative naming” mechanism to balance transparency and data protection.
South Korea – Enhancing MSDS and labeling obligations, supported by dual online‑offline inspections.
Vietnam – Under its new Chemical Law, expanding the import notification requirements to all chemical substances. Importers are now required to submit notifications through the national single window before the import.
Ms. Qiyi Zhang, Senior Regulatory Consultant at REACH24H Consulting Group, advised that companies adopt a systematic compliance framework encompassing dynamic regulatory tracking, differentiated CBI strategies, and transparent data exchange across supply chains to raise overall compliance efficiency.
Extended Producer Responsibility: A Cornerstone of Circular Development
On another critical dimension of sustainability—Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)—the Asia-Pacific region is also witnessing diverse developments. EPR, as a key mechanism to drive the circular economy, aims to enhance producers' responsibility throughout a product's lifecycle, especially in the disposal phase.
Ms. Cissie Yeung from the Singapore Chemical Industry Council (SCIC) pointed out that the region faces shared challenges of increasing plastic pollution and low recycling rates. The development and refinement of the EPR system has become an essential choice for advancing regional sustainable development. She called for strengthened regional collaboration among governments, enterprises, and industry organizations to unify the definition, scope, and standards of EPR, while jointly investing in recycling systems and technological innovations. Policy incentives and capacity-building efforts will further improve the system’s operability.
Conclusion: Paving the Way for a Resilient and Sustainable Chemical Industry
The CRAC Singapore 2025 has once again proven to be a crucial platform for advancing dialogue on chemical regulation, sustainability, and global compliance. With the increasing tightening of regulations and the accelerated green transformation, the discussions at CRAC have reinforced the need for a strategic, proactive approach to navigating the complex landscape of chemical management in the APAC region.
The successful conclusion of CRAC Singapore marks the end of a global tour that has already seen significant discussions in Hangzhou and Tokyo, with over 600 industry leaders and experts coming together to face the evolving challenges of chemical regulation and to shape the future of global compliance.
Stay tuned for the full post-event report, featuring deeper insights and forward-looking perspectives on the evolving landscape of chemical regulations across the world.
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.
