REACH, CLP, TSCA, GHS, K-REACH - global chemical regulations are expanding fast. TGC's dedicated compliance team handles classification, SDS management, SVHC tracking, and market-specific registration so you stay compliant and keep selling.
REACH-registered specialists
EU, UK, US, APAC coverage
Backed by TecEx Group
SVHC substances on the
REACH Candidate List
as of 2025
Source: ECHA
Chemical compliance is not a one-time registration exercise. It is an ongoing obligation that spans substance classification, safety documentation, labelling, supply chain disclosure, and market-specific registration - in every country where your products are manufactured, imported, or sold.
Global regulators including ECHA, the US EPA, and the UK's Health and Safety Executive are intensifying oversight. A comprehensive REACH revision (REACH 2.0) is under active development - the European Commission published its proposal for consultation in April 2025, but the final adoption timeline has slipped into 2026 or later following a negative opinion from the EU Regulatory Scrutiny Board (RSB) in September 2025, which requires the impact assessment to be revised before the legislative proposal can proceed. Industry opposition - notably from Cefic and other industry bodies - has added further pressure. PFAS restrictions are expanding across the EU, US, UK, and APAC simultaneously. And enforcement actions are increasing across all major markets.
TGC's chemical compliance team provides the regulatory intelligence, documentation support, and expert guidance to keep your substances, mixtures, and finished goods market-ready - without dedicating headcount to tracking a regulatory landscape that changes quarterly.
We provide Expedited Compliance Audits for urgent gap assessments, Label Reviews against CLP and GHS requirements, and Full Product Compliance management for end-to-end regulatory coverage.
The regulatory burden on chemical manufacturers and importers is accelerating. Here is what you need to know by region, updated to reflect the current state of global chemical law.
Any entity that manufactured or imported PFAS between 2011 and 2022 must submit under TSCA §8(a)(7). The six-month window leaves no room for late preparation.
CLP REF-14 enforcement checks are active in H1 2026. Substances above 0.1% w/w in articles trigger mandatory disclosure. Companies using an Only Representative should review arrangements now.
Separate registration with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is required regardless of EU status, with phased deadlines by tonnage and hazard level.
Old MSDS formats for Korea are invalid from July 1, 2026. China enforcement has intensified — non-compliant imports face detention. Verify SDS compliance against updated Japanese GHS format before export.
The regulatory deadlines driving reporting obligations, SDS updates, and market-access changes for chemical manufacturers and importers in 2026.
A structured overview of the core chemical compliance obligations by jurisdiction - a common starting point for multi-market programmes.
| Requirement | EU REACH / CLP | UK REACH | US TSCA / HCS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Substance Registration | Mandatory for ≥1 t/yr — register with ECHA before placing on EU market | Register separately with HSE; EU REACH compliance does not apply in GB | Pre-Manufacture Notice (PMN) required 90 days before new substances; CDR every 4 years |
| Safety Data Sheet (SDS) | Mandatory — 16-section GHS format in destination language; updated per REACH Annex II | Mandatory — GB English, GB CLP format; separate from EU SDS | Mandatory for hazardous chemicals — OSHA HCS 16-section, aligned to GHS Rev. 7 by Jan 2026 |
| Hazard Classification | EU CLP (GHS Rev. 9) — updated May 2025 to include EDC and PBM categories | GB CLP — diverging from EU timeline, managed independently by HSE | OSHA HCS — aligning to GHS Rev. 7; revised labelling and SDS rules effective Jan 2026 |
| Representative Required | Only Representative (OR) — EU-based legal entity required for non-EU manufacturers | UK Only Representative — GB-based entity required separately from EU OR | US Importer of Record / Agent — no direct OR equivalent; importers bear full liability |
| Priority / Restricted Substances | SVHC Candidate List (251+ substances); Annex XIV authorisation; Annex XVII restrictions | UK SVHC list managed by HSE, diverging from EU; separate restriction list | TSCA High-Priority substances; EPA risk evaluation; PFAS reporting (TSCA §8(a)(7)) |
| Key 2026 Deadline | CLP REF-14 enforcement (H1 2026); REACH 2.0 revision — adoption timeline uncertain | UK REACH registration phase opens (2026–2030 phased deadlines) | TSCA PFAS reporting: 13 April – 13 October 2026 |
Maximum civil penalty per day per TSCA violation - inflation-adjusted annually under 40 CFR § 19 from the 2016 Lautenberg Act base of $37,500
SVHC substances on ECHA's Candidate List - each triggering mandatory customer disclosure at 0.1% w/w in articles
Businesses initially in scope for TSCA PFAS reporting - with a compressed three-month submission window from April 13, 2026
Our chemical compliance work is structured around four core workflows, each delivered by specialists with direct experience across REACH, TSCA, CLP, and global GHS implementations.
We manage REACH registration dossiers for new and existing substances, coordinate with your Only Representative (OR) where needed, and maintain continuous monitoring against the ECHA Candidate List. When new SVHCs are added, you receive immediate impact assessments and updated SDS recommendations - not a periodic newsletter.
We author, review, and update Safety Data Sheets to the 16-section GHS format required under EU CLP, UK REACH, US OSHA HazCom, and the Korean and Japanese GHS implementations. CLP classification reviews are conducted against current Annex VI entries and the ECHA C&L Inventory, with label artwork reviewed against market-specific symbol, pictogram, and language requirements.
For US market access, we assess your product portfolio against the TSCA Chemical Substance Inventory, manage Premanufacture Notifications (PMNs) for new substances, and prepare your organisation for the TSCA Section 8(a)(7) PFAS reporting obligation. We review your supply chain against the proposed exemptions, identify your likely scope under the revised rule, and prepare compliant submission documentation ahead of the mid-2026 window.
Whether you need K-REACH registration support for Korea, MEE Order 12 filing for China, or an emergency gap audit ahead of a product launch, TGC provides scoped, fast-turnaround assessments that identify your highest-priority compliance gaps and produce an actionable remediation roadmap. Our Expedited Audit service is specifically designed for this scenario.
A REACH Article 33 breach hiding in your supply chain
Surfaced immediately by a customer audit or customs inspection
CLP, OSHA HazCom, UK post-Brexit, and WHMIS all diverge
Discovered after the product has already entered the supply chain
TSCA PFAS, K-REACH SDS, UK REACH phases - all on different timelines
Required for TSCA reporting, EU restriction prep, and customer disclosure
Answers to the questions we hear most often from manufacturers, importers, and procurement teams entering new markets.
REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) is the EU's primary chemical safety regulation, administered by ECHA. It applies to any company that manufactures, imports, or uses chemical substances in the EU in quantities of 1 tonne or more per year - unless exempt. Non-EU manufacturers who supply substances or mixtures into the EU must appoint an Only Representative (OR) based in the EU to fulfil registration obligations on their behalf. REACH also imposes disclosure obligations for Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) in articles above 0.1% w/w. A comprehensive revision - commonly referred to as REACH 2.0 - is under active development: the European Commission published its proposal in April 2025, but the final adoption date has slipped into 2026 or later, primarily due to a negative opinion from the EU Regulatory Scrutiny Board (RSB) in September 2025, which requires the impact assessment to be revised before the legislative proposal can proceed. Industry opposition at the April 2025 CARACAL consultation has added further pressure. Key proposed changes include 10-year registration validity, ECHA revocation powers for incomplete dossiers, stronger PFAS and endocrine disruptor controls, and polymer registration for up to 30,000 high-concern polymers.
REACH and CLP are complementary EU regulations that together form the EU's chemical safety framework. REACH governs the registration, evaluation, and authorisation of chemical substances - it is about ensuring chemicals are safe to use and that their risks are understood and managed. CLP (Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation) governs how hazardous substances and mixtures are classified, labelled, and packaged for sale - based on the UN's Globally Harmonised System (GHS). A substance can be subject to both regulations simultaneously: REACH may require it to be registered and evaluated, while CLP determines how it must be labelled on the shelf. Safety Data Sheets (SDS) are required under CLP/REACH and must follow the 16-section GHS format.
Yes. The US Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) applies to any company that imports chemical substances or articles containing chemical substances into the United States - regardless of where the company is headquartered. Importers have obligations including verifying that imported substances appear on the TSCA Chemical Substance Inventory (or have a valid exemption), complying with use restrictions on regulated substances, and - from 2026 - reporting historical PFAS manufacture and import under TSCA Section 8(a)(7). Non-compliance can result in civil penalties exceeding $48,500 per day per violation (the statutory base of $37,500 under the 2016 Lautenberg Act is inflation-adjusted annually under 40 CFR § 19, reaching over $48,500 as of the 2024/2025 adjustment), product seizures, and enhanced import scrutiny from CBP and EPA.
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a large family of synthetic chemicals used in firefighting foams, non-stick coatings, water-resistant textiles, packaging, and many industrial processes. They are described as "forever chemicals" because they do not break down in the environment or the human body, and have been detected in water supplies globally. In 2026, PFAS compliance has become a priority across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously: in the US, the TSCA PFAS reporting window opens in mid-2026 requiring manufacturers and importers to submit historical manufacturing data; in the EU, a comprehensive REACH Annex XVII restriction on PFAS is under active scientific review - ECHA's committees are expected to finalise their opinions through 2026, with a European Commission decision no earlier than 2027 and implementation potentially 2028 - 2029; ECHA is also advancing a broader restriction covering multiple sectors; in several US states, mandatory product labelling and reporting requirements are active. Companies with PFAS anywhere in their supply chain - including in articles - should conduct a PFAS mapping exercise as a first step.
A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) - formerly called a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) - is a standardised document that provides detailed information about a chemical substance or mixture, including hazard identification, composition, safe handling, storage, and emergency response procedures. Under EU CLP/REACH, an SDS must be provided to downstream users and distributors for any hazardous substance or mixture classified under CLP, and for certain non-classified substances. The SDS must follow the 16-section GHS format. The specific language, pictogram, and content requirements vary by country: EU SDS requirements differ from OSHA HazCom 2012 requirements in the US, UK REACH requirements post-Brexit, and the Japanese ISHL or Korean GHS implementations. TGC's SDS management service covers authoring, review, translation, and market-specific format compliance.
REACH registration timelines and costs vary significantly by substance volume, hazard profile, and whether a lead registrant already exists in the SIEF (Substance Information Exchange Forum). Standard full registration for a new substance at 1 - 10 tonnes per year typically takes 6 - 18 months from scoping to submission, including test data gathering and dossier preparation. Letter of Access fees to existing SIEF data can range from a few hundred euros for common substances to tens of thousands for substances with limited registrants and proprietary data. ECHA registration fees are volume-banded and can be accessed on the ECHA website. Non-EU companies must appoint an Only Representative (OR) - a legal entity based in the EU - before any registration activity begins. TGC advises on SIEF participation, OR selection, and data sharing arrangements, and can coordinate the full registration process on your behalf.
REACH · CLP · TSCA · GHS · APAC
Gap assessment in days, not weeks
Global regulatory infrastructure
Talk to a TGC specialist about your product, your target markets, and your deadlines. We'll tell you exactly where the risks are and what it takes to resolve them - before they become a problem at the border or the shelf.
