What is the tonnage threshold for K-REACH on propylene (propene)?

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 115-07-1 · K-REACH · Republic of Korea

Propylene (propene) under K-REACH

C3H6 · 丙烯

Status: Registered. Propylene is registered under K-REACH and listed as a Priority Existing Chemical (PEC). Korean GHS classification matches REACH (Flam. Gas 1A plus Press. Gas plus simple asphyxiant). NOT on Korea TCCA Toxic Chemicals list. NOT on Korean Drug Management Act precursor list. NO active Korean AD/CVD case on Chinese-origin propylene (verify against the Korea Trade Commission portal before invoicing). **Korea has substantial domestic propylene production at Yeosu plus Daesan plus Onsan** (LG Chem, Lotte Chemical, Hanwha Solutions, GS Caltex, S-Oil, Korea Petrochemical Industrial Complex KPIC); Korea is structurally balanced for propylene with substantial PDH capacity additions. KCFTA preferential zero-duty applies for Chinese-origin imports (rare due to bulk-trade limitation).

K-REACH treats propylene as a routine PEC-registered substance with no TCCA overlay. **Korea has substantial domestic propylene production at Yeosu plus Daesan plus Onsan** (LG Chem, Lotte Chemical, Hanwha Solutions, GS Caltex, S-Oil, KPIC); structurally balanced. NO active Korean AD/CVD case. KCFTA preferential zero-duty supports Chinese-origin supplemental supply (rare due to bulk-trade limitation). **Propylene distinguishing pattern across all 5 regimes**: foundational C3 olefin (~120 to 130 Mt/yr globally) feeding polypropylene batch 47 (~65 percent of demand) plus propylene oxide batch 29 (~10 percent) plus acrylic acid batch 39 (~6 percent) plus acrylonitrile batch 38 (~7 percent) plus oxo-alcohols (~5 percent) plus cumene route to phenol batch 13 plus acetone batch 15 (~5 percent) + steam-cracker C3 fraction (~70 percent globally) plus FCC refinery off-gas (~25 percent) plus PDH propane dehydrogenation (~5 percent and growing rapidly with US shale-derived propane export advantage) + light occupational hazard (Flam. Gas 1A plus Press. Gas plus simple asphyxiant only) + Hengli plus Zhejiang Petrochemical plus Shenghong Chinese mega-complex capacity drive + 0% China VAT export rebate + propylene structurally bulk-trade-limited.

Listing and threshold

Substance	Propylene (propene) (CAS 115-07-1), C3H6
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. Gas 1A (H220), Press. Gas, simple asphyxiant
Signal word: DANGER. GHS pictograms: GHS02 plus GHS04
Korea Occupational Safety and Health Act (KOSHA) workplace exposure standard: not specifically established (simple asphyxiant)
NOT on Korea TCCA Toxic Chemicals list
NOT on Korean Drug Management Act precursor list
Korean Customs Service (KCS) HS code: 290122
IARC: Group 3

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 propylene currently
KCFTA preferential zero-duty applies to Chinese-origin propylene (HS 290122)

Importer obligations

The Korean importer of record must hold K-REACH registration. For propylene this is a routine PEC registration with no TCCA overlay. **Korea has substantial domestic propylene production**: LG Chem, Lotte Chemical, Hanwha Solutions, GS Caltex, S-Oil, Korea Petrochemical Industrial Complex KPIC at Yeosu plus Daesan plus Onsan integrated steam-cracker plus PDH capacity. Korean PDH capacity has expanded substantially 2018 to 2025 driven by US-shale-derived propane import. Korean downstream consumers: LG Chem (PP plus PO chains), Lotte Chemical (PP plus PO chains), Hanwha Solutions (PP plus PO plus oxo chains), GS Caltex (PP plus oxo chains), Korean automotive sector (PP for interior plus bumper).

Required documents

K-REACH registration number on Korean side (registrant or OR-appointed)
Korean-language MSDS compliant with Korean GHS reflecting H220 classification
Korean Customs Service (KCS) declaration with HS code 290122
China-Korea FTA Form CO certificate of origin for preferential treatment
Industrial-grade specification certificate

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 propylene production at Yeosu plus Daesan plus Onsan**: LG Chem, Lotte Chemical, Hanwha Solutions, GS Caltex, S-Oil, KPIC
Korean PDH capacity expansion 2018 to 2025 driven by US-shale-derived propane import
KCFTA preferential zero-duty applies but bulk-trade structurally limited
NO active Korean AD/CVD case on Chinese propylene currently
NOT on TCCA Toxic Chemicals list
Korean downstream consumers: LG Chem (PP plus PO chains), Lotte Chemical (PP plus PO), Hanwha Solutions (PP plus PO plus oxo), GS Caltex (PP plus oxo), Korean automotive sector

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for propylene (propene), see the CAS 115-07-1 sourcing reference.

For grade-by-grade buying notes, freight maths, supplier-tier pricing, and a worked landed-cost example, the propylene (propene) 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

Referenced in

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