CAS 471-34-1 · REACH · European Union

Calcium carbonate (GCC / PCC / limestone) under REACH

CaCO3 · 碳酸钙

Status: Registered. Calcium carbonate is fully registered under REACH at the highest tonnage band (>1,000,000 tonnes/year). **Distinguishing pattern: Two production routes (GCC ground calcium carbonate via natural limestone quarrying plus milling, and PCC precipitated calcium carbonate via Ca(OH)2 batch 65 plus CO2 carbonation) + completes calcium / lime cycle alongside calcium oxide batch 67 plus calcium hydroxide batch 66 (CaCO3 -> CaO -> Ca(OH)2 -> CaCO3 closed cycle) + paper filler plus paint / coating filler plus plastics filler plus rubber filler plus cement / construction filler plus food-grade E170 plus pharma antacid plus animal feed plus FGD downstream chains + low hazard profile (NOT classified as hazardous under CLP at industrial-grade purity beyond inhalable / respirable particulate dust).** Also covered by mineral CAS 1317-65-3 (limestone, natural). NO harmonised CLP entry for non-nano calcium carbonate; ECHA C&L Inventory aggregates notifier classifications: NOT typically classified as hazardous (verify against ECHA https://echa.europa.eu/information-on-chemicals before relying). NOT SVHC. NOT Annex XIV. NO active EU AD case on Chinese-origin calcium carbonate currently (verify against EUR-Lex https://eur-lex.europa.eu/ before invoicing). **Note: nano-form calcium carbonate may carry separate REACH registration obligations under the 2020 nano-form amendment to REACH Annexes I, III and VI to XII (verify Reg (EU) 2018/1881 against EUR-Lex before relying on nano-grade scope).**

Calcium carbonate is fully REACH-registered with **low hazard profile** (NOT typically classified as hazardous beyond respirable-dust handling). NOT SVHC, NOT Annex XIV. NO active EU AD. **Nano-form CaCO3** subject to 2020 REACH nano-form amendment Reg (EU) 2018/1881. **Two production routes (GCC natural quarry-milled plus PCC synthetic Ca(OH)2 + CO2)**. **Completes calcium / lime cycle**. **Food-grade E170 plus pharma antacid plus paper / paint / plastics / rubber filler plus cement plus FGD** downstream chains.

Listing and threshold

Substance Calcium carbonate (GCC / PCC / limestone) (CAS 471-34-1), CaCO3
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

  • No harmonised CLP entry for non-nano calcium carbonate; notifier classification (per ECHA C&L Inventory): NOT typically classified as hazardous at industrial-grade purity (verify against ECHA C&L Inventory before relying)
  • IARC: Not classified
  • NOT subject to Drug Precursors or Explosives Precursors scheduling
  • ADR / RID transport classification: NOT regulated
  • **Food-grade E170 colour / acidity-regulator / firming agent** (verify against EU Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 food additive Annex II at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/ for current scope)
  • **EU Pharmacopoeia monograph** for pharma-grade calcium carbonate antacid / calcium-supplement use (verify monograph reference against EDQM / Ph. Eur. before relying)
  • **Nano-form CaCO3** may carry separate REACH registration obligations per Reg (EU) 2018/1881 (verify against EUR-Lex before relying)
  • Inhalable / respirable particulate dust workplace exposure considerations apply (verify against ECHA REACH registration dossier and national OEL lists before relying)

Restrictions and conditions of use

  • NOT on REACH Annex XIV (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 calcium carbonate currently (verify against EUR-Lex https://eur-lex.europa.eu/ before invoicing)
  • NOT in CBAM Phase 1 scope
  • **Nano-form CaCO3** subject to 2020 nano-form REACH amendment Reg (EU) 2018/1881 (verify against EUR-Lex before relying on nano-grade 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 GCC and PCC producers (verify each producer-site pair against the producer's public website before relying on a specific plant): Guangxi Hezhou region GCC quarries, Anhui Chizhou region GCC quarries, Jiangxi PCC plants, Zhejiang Jiande GCC quarries, Shandong Sanli Calcium Carbonate, Hebei Jingye Calcium Carbonate.

Required documents

  • REACH registration number on EU side
  • SDS (low hazard profile, with respirable dust handling notes)
  • Customs entry HS code 251710 (limestone) or 283650 (calcium carbonate)
  • No ADR documentation required
  • Food / pharma grade certifications where applicable (E170 / Ph. Eur.)
  • Nano-form REACH dossier where applicable

Common compliance traps

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

  • **Two production routes: GCC (natural limestone quarry plus mill) and PCC (synthetic via Ca(OH)2 plus CO2 carbonation)**
  • **Completes calcium / lime cycle alongside CaO batch 67 plus Ca(OH)2 batch 66**
  • NOT SVHC, NOT Annex XIV, NO active EU AD
  • **Nano-form CaCO3 subject to 2020 REACH nano-form amendment** Reg (EU) 2018/1881
  • **Food-grade E170 plus pharma antacid plus paper / paint / plastics / rubber filler plus cement plus FGD downstream chains**
  • Major Chinese producers: Guangxi Hezhou region, Anhui Chizhou region, Jiangxi, Zhejiang Jiande, Shandong Sanli, Hebei Jingye (verify each producer-site pair)

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for calcium carbonate (gcc / pcc / limestone), see the CAS 471-34-1 sourcing reference.

For grade-by-grade buying notes, freight maths, supplier-tier pricing, and a worked landed-cost example, the calcium carbonate (gcc / pcc / limestone) cornerstone hub covers the full sourcing chain.

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

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Read next

Cross-jurisdiction profile and sourcing references

Referenced in

5 pages across the Sourzi moat

This term shows up in 4 regulatory pages, 1 CAS profiles. Sample backlinks per content type below.

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