What is the tonnage threshold for K-REACH on vinyl acetate monomer (vam)?

K-REACH registration required for existing chemicals manufactured or imported >1 tonne/year (verified per Korean Ministry of Environment / NIER guidance, https://chemical.chemlinked.com/chempedia/k-reach; threshold for new substances was reduced from 0.1 t/y to 1 t/y effective 1 January 2025 per K-REACH 2025 amendment)

CAS 108-05-4 · K-REACH · Republic of Korea

Vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) under K-REACH

C4H6O2 · 醋酸乙烯酯

Status: Registered. VAM is registered under K-REACH and listed as a Priority Existing Chemical (PEC). Korean GHS classification matches REACH. NOT on Korea TCCA Toxic Chemicals list. NOT on Korean Drug Management Act precursor list. NO active Korean AD/CVD case on Chinese-origin VAM. Korea has substantial domestic VAM production (LG Chem Yeosu, Lotte Chemical Yeosu integrated with Cativa-process acetic acid batch 19 capacity); structurally balanced. KCFTA preferential zero-duty applies for Chinese-origin imports.

K-REACH treats VAM as a routine PEC-registered substance with no TCCA overlay. Korea has **substantial domestic VAM production at Yeosu** (LG Chem, Lotte Chemical) integrated with Cativa-process acetic acid (batch 19) capacity; structurally balanced. NO active Korean AD/CVD case. KCFTA preferential zero-duty supports Chinese-origin supplemental supply. Korean downstream consumers: Hyosung Chemicals (PVA chain), LG Chem (PVAc chain), Lotte Chemical (EVA chain via VAM + ethylene), Korean solar PV manufacturers (EVA encapsulation). **VAM distinguishing pattern across all 5 regimes**: closes acetic acid batch 19 chain (~30% of acetic acid demand globally, world's largest single end-use) + Carc 2 + IARC Group 2B + ethylene + acetic acid + oxygen direct gas-phase route (~95% globally) + Sinopec Sichuan Vinylon legacy acetylene + acetic acid route + EVA solar PV cell encapsulation rapidly growing end-use (China's solar PV manufacturing dominance drives EVA demand growth structurally).

Listing and threshold

Substance	Vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) (CAS 108-05-4), C4H6O2
Regime	Korea Act on the Registration and Evaluation of Chemicals (Act No. 11789, "K-REACH" amended 2018)
Jurisdiction	Republic of Korea
Status	Registered
Tonnage threshold	K-REACH registration required for existing chemicals manufactured or imported >1 tonne/year (verified per Korean Ministry of Environment / NIER guidance, https://chemical.chemlinked.com/chempedia/k-reach; threshold for new substances was reduced from 0.1 t/y to 1 t/y effective 1 January 2025 per K-REACH 2025 amendment)

Classifications under this regime

Korean GHS classification: Flam. Liq. 2 (H225), Carc. 2 (H351), STOT SE 3 (H335), Eye Irrit. 2 (H319), Skin Irrit. 2 (H315)
Signal word: WARNING. GHS pictograms: GHS02 + GHS07 + GHS08
Korea Occupational Safety and Health Act (KOSHA) workplace exposure standard: 10 ppm 8-hr TWA, 15 ppm STEL
NOT on Korea TCCA Toxic Chemicals list
NOT on Korean Drug Management Act precursor list
Korean Customs Service (KCS) HS code: 291532
**IARC: Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic to humans)**

Restrictions and conditions of use

No TCCA Toxic Chemicals Handling Permit required
No Chemical Accident Prevention Plan (CAPP) required
No Korean Drug Management Act precursor obligations
Korea Industrial Safety and Health Act (KOSHA) MSDS in Korean required at workplace
Korea Customs Service requires K-REACH registration number on import declaration
NO active Korean AD/CVD case on Chinese-origin VAM currently
KCFTA preferential zero-duty applies to Chinese-origin VAM (HS 291532)

Importer obligations

The Korean importer of record must hold K-REACH registration. For VAM this is a routine PEC registration with no TCCA overlay. Korea has substantial domestic VAM production at Yeosu (LG Chem Yeosu, Lotte Chemical Yeosu) integrated with Cativa-process acetic acid (batch 19) capacity; supplemental imports flow during plant outages. Korean downstream consumers: Hyosung Chemicals (PVA chain), LG Chem (PVAc chain), Lotte Chemical (EVA chain via VAM + ethylene), Korean solar PV manufacturers (EVA encapsulation: Hanwha Q CELLS, LG Solar).

Required documents

K-REACH registration number on Korean side (registrant or OR-appointed)
Korean-language MSDS compliant with Korean GHS reflecting H225 / H315 / H319 / H335 / H351 classification
Korean Customs Service (KCS) declaration with HS code 291532
China-Korea FTA Form CO certificate of origin for preferential treatment
Industrial-grade specification certificate (minimum 99.9% purity, TBC inhibitor 200-300 ppm)

Common compliance traps

The pitfalls that have bitten importers on this lane in the past. None of these is theoretical.

Korean GHS hazard-statement codes use H-codes mapped to Korean translations
Korea has substantial domestic VAM production at Yeosu (LG Chem, Lotte Chemical) integrated with Cativa-process acetic acid (batch 19) capacity
KCFTA preferential zero-duty applies; verify producer-specific eligibility
No active Korean AD/CVD case on Chinese VAM currently
NOT on TCCA Toxic Chemicals list
NOT on Korean Drug Management Act precursor list
Korean downstream consumers: Hyosung Chemicals (PVA chain), LG Chem (PVAc chain), Lotte Chemical (EVA chain via VAM + ethylene)
Korean EVA solar PV cell encapsulation demand: Hanwha Q CELLS + LG Solar driver

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for vinyl acetate monomer (vam), see the CAS 108-05-4 sourcing reference.

For grade-by-grade buying notes, freight maths, supplier-tier pricing, and a worked landed-cost example, the vinyl acetate monomer (vam) cornerstone hub covers the full sourcing chain.

For the structure and history of K-REACH, see the K-REACH glossary entry.

Need cross-jurisdiction compliance support on this substance? Run it through the REACH / TSCA / IECSC / AICIS / K-REACH checker, or send us the substance and the destination and we will quote FOB China and CIF / DDP landed including the regulatory work on the destination side.

Cross-jurisdiction profile and sourcing references

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