CAS 1310-73-2 · K-REACH · Republic of Korea

Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) under K-REACH

NaOH · 氢氧화나트륨

Status: Registered. Sodium hydroxide is registered under K-REACH and listed as a Priority Existing Chemical (PEC, 기존화학물질). Joint registration was completed by the Korean chlor-alkali producer consortium plus Korean Importers Association before the 2030 final deadline (the substance was on the priority registration tier with shorter deadline).

K-REACH treats NaOH as a routine PEC-registered substance and the lane is operationally clean once the Korean OR or in-house registration is in place. The China-Korea caustic lane runs heavy on the chlor-alkali corridor (Korean petrochemical and pulp sector demand) and the registration work is similar in pattern to EU REACH: joint registration through the consortium, OR appointment, Korean-language SDS pack. China-Korea FTA preferential treatment makes the lane competitive vs Japan / Taiwan supply.

Listing and threshold

Substance Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) (CAS 1310-73-2), NaOH
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 Registration required for any importer or manufacturer placing >1 t/year on the Korean market (the lower-band threshold). Tonnage band determines data requirements.

Classifications under this regime

  • Korean GHS classification (per the Ministry of Environment Notice): Skin Corr. 1A, Met. Corr. 1
  • Korea Occupational Safety and Health Act (KOSHA) workplace exposure standard: 2 mg/m³ peak limit
  • Not on the Korean Toxic Chemicals list (K-REACH uses a separate Toxic Chemicals Control Act, TCCA, for the most-restricted substances)
  • Listed in the K-REACH Restricted Substances database under "general industrial use"

Restrictions and conditions of use

  • No K-REACH-specific use restrictions for industrial caustic soda beyond standard hazardous-chemical handling
  • Korea Industrial Safety and Health Act (KOSHA) requires Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) in Korean at workplace
  • Korea Customs Service (KCS) imports must declare HS code (Korean equivalent: 28151110 for solid, 28151210 for liquid) plus K-REACH registration number
  • TCCA (Toxic Chemicals Control Act) does NOT cover NaOH (TCCA covers ~1,500 substances on the Toxic Chemicals list, NaOH is not on it)

Importer obligations

The Korean importer of record must hold a K-REACH registration in their own name or rely on an Only Representative (OR) appointment by the non-Korean manufacturer (similar to REACH OR mechanism). Pre-registration was completed; new market entry requires fresh registration with the joint registration consortium's data dossier. K-REACH registration fee structure varies by tonnage band and producer cooperation status.

Required documents

  • K-REACH registration number on Korean side (registrant or OR-appointed)
  • Korean-language MSDS compliant with Korean GHS (per Ministry of Environment Notice)
  • Korean Customs Service (KCS) declaration with HS code
  • Hazardous Chemicals Handling Permit if storage above thresholds (KOSHA / Ministry of Environment shared jurisdiction)

Common compliance traps

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

  • K-REACH registration is a one-time act for the substance per importer; OR arrangements must be renewed annually
  • Korean GHS hazard-statement codes use H-codes mapped to Korean translations; SDS in English-only is rejected at workplace inspection
  • Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS, China-Korea FTA) preferential treatment requires Form CO certificate of origin from the Chinese exporter
  • TCCA list substitutions (a substance moved from K-REACH-only to TCCA list) trigger immediate import-restriction; check the latest Ministry of Environment notice quarterly

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), see the CAS 1310-73-2 sourcing reference.

For grade-by-grade buying notes, freight maths, supplier-tier pricing, and a worked landed-cost example, the sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) 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.

Read next

Cross-jurisdiction profile and sourcing references

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