What is the tonnage threshold for REACH on monoethanolamine (mea)?

Registration required for any importer or manufacturer placing >1 t/year on the EU market

CAS 141-43-5 · REACH · European Union

Monoethanolamine (MEA) under REACH

C2H7NO · 乙醇胺

Status: Registered. Monoethanolamine is fully registered under REACH. **Distinguishing pattern: produced via reaction of ethylene oxide (EO) with aqueous ammonia (NH3 + EO yields MEA + DEA + TEA in adjustable ratio depending on NH3 / EO molar ratio + temperature + pressure); MEA is the lightest member of the alkanolamine chain. Major downstream uses: gas-treatment / amine-scrubbing for natural gas + refinery + biogas / industrial CO2 streams (~40 to 50% of global consumption: H2S + CO2 removal in MDEA-blended formulations) + emerging carbon-capture absorbent (post-combustion CO2 capture from coal-fired + gas-fired power plants and industrial flue gas) + surfactant feedstock (alkanolamides + betaines + ethanolamine soaps) + detergent + cosmetics + personal care + cement-grinding aid + agrochemical intermediate + polyurethane catalyst + corrosion inhibitor. Major non-EU producers: Dow Chemical (USA Plaquemine LA + Seadrift TX), INEOS (USA Plaquemine LA), Mitsubishi Chemical (Japan Yokkaichi), Akzo Nobel / Nouryon (Sweden Stenungsund). Major Chinese producers: SINOPEC Maoming Petrochemical (Guangdong) + SINOPEC Jinling Petrochemical (Nanjing) + Jinghong Energy (Inner Mongolia) + Jiangsu Yida Chemical (Yangzhou) + Shandong Lianhuan Chemical + Maoming Tianyuan; verify each producer-site pair against the producer's public website before relying. Major EU producers: BASF (Germany Antwerp + Ludwigshafen), Helm Iberica (Spain Tarragona), AkzoNobel / Nouryon (Sweden Stenungsund).** NOT SVHC. NOT Annex XIV. NO active EU AD case on Chinese-origin monoethanolamine currently (verify against EUR-Lex https://eur-lex.europa.eu/ before invoicing). **NOT on EU Drug Precursors Regulation (EC) No 273/2004 + Regulation (EU) 2015/1011 scheduled list** (verify against EUR-Lex before relying).

Monoethanolamine is fully REACH-registered. Skin Corr. 1B + Eye Dam. 1 + STOT RE 2 + Acute Tox. 4. NOT SVHC, NOT Annex XIV. NO active EU AD. **NOT on EU Drug Precursors scheduled list.** ADR UN 2491 Class 8 PG III. **Gas-treatment / amine-scrubbing ~40 to 50% (H2S + CO2 removal) + emerging carbon-capture absorbent + surfactant + detergent + cosmetics + cement-grinding aid downstream chains**. Major Chinese producers: SINOPEC Maoming + SINOPEC Jinling + Jinghong Energy + Jiangsu Yida + Shandong Lianhuan + Maoming Tianyuan.

Listing and threshold

Substance	Monoethanolamine (MEA) (CAS 141-43-5), C2H7NO
Regime	EU Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006: Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals
Jurisdiction	European Union (EU-27 plus EEA: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway)
Status	Registered
Tonnage threshold	Registration required for any importer or manufacturer placing >1 t/year on the EU market

Classifications under this regime

Skin Corr. 1B: H314 + Eye Dam. 1: H318 + STOT RE 2: H373 + Acute Tox. 4 oral / dermal / inhalation: H302 + H312 + H332 per harmonised CLP (verify exact harmonised classification against ECHA Annex VI to CLP Table 3.1 before relying)
IARC: Not classified (verify against https://monographs.iarc.who.int/ before relying)
**NOT on EU Drug Precursors Regulation (EC) No 273/2004 + Regulation (EU) 2015/1011 scheduled list** (verify against EUR-Lex https://eur-lex.europa.eu/ before relying)
ADR / RID: UN 2491 ETHANOLAMINE or ETHANOLAMINE SOLUTION Class 8 PG III corrosive liquid (verify against current ADR at https://unece.org/transport/dangerous-goods/adr-2025-files before consigning)
EU Cosmetic Products Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: ethanolamines including MEA permitted in cosmetics with concentration + use-condition restrictions (verify against EUR-Lex per Annex)

Restrictions and conditions of use

NOT on REACH Annex XIV authorisation list (verify against ECHA https://echa.europa.eu/authorisation-list)
NOT classified as SVHC (verify against ECHA https://echa.europa.eu/candidate-list-table)
NOT subject to any Annex XVII restriction
NO active EU AD case on Chinese-origin monoethanolamine currently (verify against EUR-Lex https://eur-lex.europa.eu/ before invoicing)
NOT in CBAM Phase 1 scope

Importer obligations

A non-EU producer cannot register directly under REACH. The EU importer of record must hold a registration or rely on an Only Representative (OR). Major Chinese MEA producers: SINOPEC Maoming Petrochemical (Guangdong) + SINOPEC Jinling Petrochemical (Nanjing) + Jinghong Energy (Inner Mongolia) + Jiangsu Yida Chemical (Yangzhou) + Shandong Lianhuan Chemical + Maoming Tianyuan; verify each producer-site pair against the producer's public website before relying.

Required documents

REACH registration number on EU side
SDS (Skin Corr. 1B + Eye Dam. 1 + STOT RE 2 + Acute Tox. 4 oral / dermal / inhalation)
Customs entry HS code 292211 (monoethanolamine + its salts)
ADR transport documentation UN 2491 Class 8 PG III corrosive liquid

Common compliance traps

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

**Production: ammonia + ethylene oxide yielding MEA + DEA + TEA in adjustable ratio (alkanolamine chain)**
Skin Corr. 1B + Eye Dam. 1 + STOT RE 2 + Acute Tox. 4
NOT SVHC, NOT Annex XIV, NO active EU AD
**NOT on EU Drug Precursors scheduled list**
**Gas-treatment / amine-scrubbing ~40 to 50% (H2S + CO2 removal natural gas + refinery + biogas) + emerging carbon-capture absorbent + surfactant feedstock + detergent + cosmetics + cement-grinding aid + polyurethane catalyst downstream chains**
Major Chinese producers: SINOPEC Maoming + SINOPEC Jinling + Jinghong Energy + Jiangsu Yida + Shandong Lianhuan + Maoming Tianyuan

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for monoethanolamine (mea), see the CAS 141-43-5 sourcing reference.

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

For the structure and history of REACH, see the 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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