The Hazardous Chemicals Safety Law will come into effect on May 1, 2026.

I.Legislative Background and Significance

On December 27, 2025, the 19th Session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress adopted the Law on the Safety of Hazardous Chemicals of the People's Republic of China by vote, which will come into force on May 1, 2026. This is a landmark event in the field of hazardous chemicals safety management in China, marking a new phase in the country’s efforts to regulate the safety of hazardous chemicals.

Hazardous chemicals play a vital role in the national economy while posing substantial risks. In recent years, frequent accidents involving hazardous chemicals in China have severely threatened people’s lives and property as well as the ecological environment. The enactment of the Law on the Safety of Hazardous Chemicals of the People's Republic of China aims to strengthen the safety management of hazardous chemicals, prevent and reduce related accidents, safeguard public health, life and property, and protect the ecological environment.

 

II.Interpretation of Key Provisions

(I)General Provisions

This chapter specifies the legislative purpose, scope of application, definition of hazardous chemicals, and the guidelines and principles for safety management.

Legislative Purpose: To strengthen the safety management of hazardous chemicals, prevent and reduce hazardous chemical accidents, protect public health, life and property, and preserve the ecological environment.

Scope of Application: This Law applies to the safety management of the production, storage, use, distribution and transportation of hazardous chemicals. The disposal of waste hazardous chemicals shall be governed by relevant laws and administrative regulations on ecological and environmental protection and national provisions.

Definition of Hazardous Chemicals: Refers to highly toxic chemicals and other chemicals that are toxic, corrosive, explosive, combustible, combustion-supporting, or otherwise harmful to humans, facilities and the environment.

Guidelines and Principles for Safety Management: Safety management of hazardous chemicals shall adhere to the principle of putting people and their lives first, implement the overall national security concept, balance development and safety, and follow the guidelines of safety first, prevention first and comprehensive governance to mitigate major safety risks at the source. It shall also implement the principle that industries, business operations and production and distribution activities must take responsibility for safety; consolidate the main responsibility of enterprises and the regulatory responsibility of the government; and establish a mechanism featuring enterprise accountability, employee participation, government supervision, industry self-discipline and public oversight.

(II)Planning and Layout

This chapter governs the overall planning and rational layout of the production and storage of hazardous chemicals, and the development and management of chemical parks.

Overall Planning and Rational Layout: The state conducts overall planning and rational layout for the production and storage of hazardous chemicals. When formulating territorial spatial plans, local people’s governments shall, based on local conditions and the principle of ensuring safety, designate appropriate areas for the production and storage of hazardous chemicals.

Development and Management of Chemical Parks: Chemical parks shall be certified and announced by the people’s governments of provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities directly under the Central Government or their authorized departments. These governments shall develop chemical parks in a reasonable manner, conduct safety risk assessment and demonstration, and implement control measures. Chemical parks shall dynamically monitor all incoming and outgoing hazardous chemicals, and carry out risk monitoring and early warning for enterprises, key locations, major hazard installations and infrastructure within the park.

(III)Safety in Production and Storage

This chapter covers the safety assessment and design review of hazardous chemical construction projects, safety licensing for production enterprises, and the packaging and storage of hazardous chemicals.

Safety Management of Construction Projects: Hazardous chemical construction projects shall undergo safety assessment by the emergency management department. The project owner shall commission a qualified institution to conduct a safety assessment and submit the results to the emergency management department at or above the prefecture-level municipal government where the project is located. Safety facilities for such projects and hazardous chemical port construction projects must be designed, constructed and put into operation simultaneously with the main project.

Work Safety Licensing: Hazardous chemical production enterprises must obtain a work safety license in accordance with relevant laws and administrative regulations before commencing production. Enterprises producing hazardous chemicals listed in the industrial product catalog subject to production licensing shall also obtain an industrial product production license.

Safety in Packaging and Storage: Packaging of hazardous chemicals must comply with laws, administrative regulations, rules and national/industry standards. Manufacturers and importers of hazardous chemicals shall provide Chinese - language Safety Data Sheets (SDS) consistent with their products and affix, print or attach Chinese - language safety labels matching the contents on the packages. Hazardous chemicals shall be stored in dedicated warehouses, sites, rooms or cabinets under special supervision. Highly toxic chemicals and other hazardous chemicals whose quantities constitute major hazard installations shall be stored separately in dedicated facilities with a two - person receiving and dispatching and two - person custody system.

(IV)Safety in Use

This chapter specifies the safety management responsibilities of users of hazardous chemicals and the application and issuance of safety use licenses.

Safety Management Responsibilities of Users: Users of hazardous chemicals must meet the conditions specified by laws and administrative regulations.

Safety Management Responsibilities of Distributors: Distributors of hazardous chemicals shall establish and improve safety management systems and operational procedures, enhance safety training for employees, and ensure the safe distribution of hazardous chemicals.

(V)Safety in Transportation

This chapter regulates the qualification licensing of hazardous chemical transportation enterprises and the safety management of hazardous chemical transportation.

Qualification Licensing of Transportation Enterprises: Enterprises engaged in road or waterway transportation of hazardous chemicals must obtain a dangerous goods road transportation license or a dangerous goods waterway transportation license in accordance with relevant laws and administrative regulations on road and waterway transportation respectively, and complete registration with the administrative department for industry and commerce. Such enterprises shall be staffed with full - time safety management personnel.

Safety Management in Transportation: Transportation enterprises shall establish and improve safety management systems and operational procedures based on the type, hazard characteristics, quantity and mode of transportation of the hazardous chemicals. They shall provide safety training for employees, who must pass assessments to master knowledge of safety, occupational health protection and emergency response before taking up their posts.

(VI)Registration of Hazardous Chemicals

This chapter specifies the scope, content and procedures for the registration of hazardous chemicals.

Scope of Registration: Manufacturers and importers of hazardous chemicals shall register their products in accordance with this Law.

Registration Content: Includes classification and labeling information, physical and chemical properties, main uses, hazard characteristics, safety requirements for storage, use and transportation, and emergency response measures in case of hazards.

Registration Procedures: The hazardous chemical registration authority shall regularly provide registration information to departments such as industry and information technology, environmental protection, public security, health, transportation, railway, and quality supervision, inspection and quarantine.

(VII)Emergency Response to Accidents

This chapter covers the formulation of emergency response plans for hazardous chemical accidents, the development of emergency response teams, and the organization and implementation of emergency response.

Formulation of Emergency Response Plans: People’s governments at or above the county level shall organize relevant departments to formulate emergency response plans for hazardous chemical accidents in their administrative regions and establish an emergency response system. Enterprises handling hazardous chemicals shall formulate their own emergency response plans, allocate emergency response personnel and necessary equipment, and conduct regular emergency drills.

Development of Emergency Response Teams: People’s governments at or above the county level shall strengthen the development of emergency response teams, allocate necessary equipment and materials, and improve emergency response capabilities. Enterprises handling hazardous chemicals shall establish emergency response organizations, allocate personnel and equipment, and conduct regular drills.

Organization and Implementation of Emergency Response: In the event of an accident, the enterprise involved shall immediately activate the emergency response plan, conduct rescue operations, and report the incident to the local emergency management department and other relevant authorities. The emergency management department and relevant departments of the people’s government at or above the county level shall carry out emergency rescue in accordance with the emergency response plan.

(VIII)Legal Liability

This chapter stipulates the legal liabilities for violations of this Law, including administrative liability, criminal liability and civil liability.

Administrative Liability: Violators shall be subject to administrative penalties by the relevant authorities, including warnings, fines, confiscation of illegal gains, orders to suspend production and business operations, and revocation of licenses.

Criminal Liability: Violations constituting crimes shall be subject to criminal liability in accordance with the law.

Civil Liability: Those who cause personal injury or property damage due to violations of this Law shall bear civil compensation liability in accordance with the law.

(IX)Supplementary Provisions

This chapter specifies the effective date of this Law.

 

III.Outlook on Law Enforcement

The implementation of the Law on the Safety of Hazardous Chemicals of the People's Republic of China will have a far - reaching impact on the safety management of hazardous chemicals in China.

Strengthened Supervision: Relevant authorities will step up supervision over all links of the production, storage, use, distribution and transportation of hazardous chemicals in accordance with this Law, crack down on illegal and irregular activities, and ensure the safety management of hazardous chemicals.

Improved Enterprise Safety Management: Enterprises dealing with hazardous chemicals will establish and improve safety management systems and operational procedures, enhance safety training for employees, and improve their safety management capabilities in line with this Law.

Promoted Healthy Development of the Industry: The Law will help standardize the production and operation order of the hazardous chemical industry, promote its healthy development, and provide strong support for the national economic development.

In conclusion, the enactment of the Law on the Safety of Hazardous Chemicals of the People's Republic of China is a major milestone in the field of hazardous chemical safety management in China. It will provide stronger legal protection for the safety management of hazardous chemicals, help prevent and reduce related accidents, and safeguard public health, life and property as well as the ecological environment.

 

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