CAS 497-19-8 · K-REACH · Republic of Korea

Sodium carbonate (soda ash) under K-REACH

Na2CO3 · 碳酸钠 / 纯碱

Status: Registered. Sodium carbonate is registered under K-REACH and listed as a Priority Existing Chemical (PEC). Korean GHS classification matches REACH (Eye Irrit. 2). NOT on Korea TCCA Toxic Chemicals list. NOT on Korean Drug Management Act precursor list. NO active Korean AD/CVD case on Chinese-origin sodium carbonate. Korea has no major domestic soda ash production capacity; structurally net-importer for downstream glass + detergent + chemicals industries. KCFTA preferential zero-duty applies for Chinese-origin imports. **Light K-REACH-side regulatory profile alongside sodium chloride batch 16 + glycerol batch 35**.

K-REACH treats sodium carbonate as a routine PEC-registered substance with **light K-REACH-side regulatory profile alongside sodium chloride batch 16 + glycerol batch 35**. Korea has no major domestic soda ash production; structurally net-importer. NO active Korean AD/CVD case. KCFTA preferential zero-duty supports Chinese-origin supplemental supply. **Sodium carbonate distinguishing pattern across all 5 regimes**: closes NaCl batch 16 chain via Solvay process + Hou's process Chinese variant (combined ammonia-soda + ammonia-chloride-synthesis without ammonia recovery; verify Hou's-process share of Chinese capacity against ICIS or CCFA before quoting a specific percentage) + trona / natural soda ash US Wyoming + Turkish dominance + very light hazard (Eye Irrit. 2 only) + glass + detergent + chemicals primary downstream + Tangshan Sanyou (a leading global soda ash producer; verify world-largest rank and any specific Mt/yr capacity against the Tangshan Sanyou corporate site before relying) + possible active US AD/CVD on Russian-origin soda ash since 2024 (verify against access.trade.gov before relying; Chinese-origin NOT subject to AD).

Listing and threshold

Substance Sodium carbonate (soda ash) (CAS 497-19-8), Na2CO3
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: Eye Irrit. 2 (H319, mild)
  • Signal word: WARNING. GHS pictograms: GHS07
  • Korea Occupational Safety and Health Act (KOSHA) workplace exposure standard: not specifically established
  • NOT on Korea TCCA Toxic Chemicals list
  • NOT on Korean Drug Management Act precursor list
  • Korean Customs Service (KCS) HS codes: 283620 (anhydrous), 283610 (decahydrate)
  • Korean Food Standards Codex Article 4 permits sodium carbonate as food additive E 500

Restrictions and conditions of use

  • No TCCA Toxic Chemicals Handling Permit required
  • No Chemical Accident Prevention Plan (CAPP) required
  • Korea Industrial Safety and Health Act (KOSHA) MSDS in Korean required at workplace
  • NO active Korean AD/CVD case on Chinese-origin sodium carbonate currently
  • KCFTA preferential zero-duty applies to Chinese-origin sodium carbonate

Importer obligations

The Korean importer of record must hold K-REACH registration. Light-regulatory profile. Korea has no major domestic soda ash production; structurally net-importer. Korean downstream consumers: Hankuk Glass (container + flat glass), KCC Corporation (paint + glass), Korean detergent industry, Korean chemicals industry. Korean soda ash imports primarily from China + US Wyoming trona-route + Turkish trona-route.

Required documents

  • K-REACH registration number on Korean side (registrant or OR-appointed)
  • Korean-language MSDS compliant with Korean GHS reflecting H319 classification
  • Korean Customs Service (KCS) declaration with HS code 283620 or 283610
  • China-Korea FTA Form CO certificate of origin for preferential treatment
  • Industrial-grade or food-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 no major domestic soda ash production; structurally net-importer
  • KCFTA preferential zero-duty applies
  • NO active Korean AD/CVD case on Chinese sodium carbonate currently
  • NOT on TCCA Toxic Chemicals list
  • **Light K-REACH-side regulatory profile alongside sodium chloride batch 16 + glycerol batch 35**
  • Korean soda ash imports primarily from China + US Wyoming trona-route + Turkish trona-route

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 carbonate (soda ash), see the CAS 497-19-8 sourcing reference.

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

Referenced in

5 pages across the Sourzi moat

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