Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances of China (IECSC)

The Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances in China (IECSC) includes chemical substances that were produced, sold, processed, used, or imported within the territory of the People's Republic of China prior to October 15, 2003, as well as chemical substances added after October 15, 2003, in accordance with relevant regulations on the environmental management of new chemical substances. It is formulated, adjusted, and published by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE). The 2013 edition of the inventory contained a total of 45,612 substances, including 3,270 confidential substances and 42,342 publicly disclosed substances. Following the release of the 2013 edition, the MiEE has been responsible for periodically supplementing the inventory and publishing updates as appropriate. As of May 6, 2025, the IECSC has included 47,091 substances, comprising 3,634 confidential substances and 177 substances subject to new usage environmental management.
The IECSC serves as the primary basis for determining whether environmental management registration for new chemical substances is required. Before producing or importing chemicals, enterprises must first confirm whether the target substance is listed in the IECEC or not, and fulfill corresponding compliance obligations based on the results.

Substances listed in the IECSC are regulated as existing chemical substances and do not require new chemical registration or record notification. However, for certain existing chemical substances in the IECSC that are specifically noted as requiring new usage management, if they are used for industrial purposes other than those permitted in the IECSC, new usage environmental management registration is required.

Substance that is confirmed not to be listed in the IECSC, it is considered a new chemical substance. Before producing or importing new chemical substances within China, new chemical environmental management registration is required. According to MEE Order No. 12, there are three types of registration of new chemical substances, namely:
- Record notification (non-polymer < 1 t/y; Polymers containing less than 2% of a new chemical monomer/reactant; PLC: no quantity limit);
- Simplified registration (1-10 t/y);
- Regular registration (> 10 t/y).
Note: The IECSC contains over 3,000 confidential substances. Failure to match a target substance via the online search does not necessarily mean it is not included in the IECSC. It is recommended to apply for an official search to verify the substance of your concern is deemed as an existing chemical substance. Welcome to contact REACH24H for more details.