CAS 56-81-5 · IECSC · People's Republic of China

Glycerol (glycerine, propane-1,2,3-triol) under IECSC

C3H8O3 · 甘油

Status: Listed. Glycerol is on the IECSC public portion. NOT on China's Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals (light hazard). NOT on Highly Toxic Chemicals Catalog. NOT on Easily-Made Drugs Catalog. **Light IECSC-side regulatory profile alongside sodium chloride batch 16**. 13% China VAT export rebate. China dominates global glycerol capacity (~30%, ~2-3 Mt/yr) with mixed biodiesel-byproduct + soap-byproduct + epichlorohydrin-synthesis routes.

Glycerol is comfortably IECSC-listed with **light IECSC-side regulatory profile alongside sodium chloride batch 16**: NOT on Catalog of Hazardous, NOT on Highly Toxic, NOT on Easily-Made Drugs. 13% VAT rebate for refined glycerol. China has substantial domestic capacity (~30%, ~2-3 Mt/yr). Production routes: biodiesel byproduct (~60% globally), soap-byproduct (~15%), epichlorohydrin synthesis (~25%).

Listing and threshold

Substance Glycerol (glycerine, propane-1,2,3-triol) (CAS 56-81-5), C3H8O3
Regime China Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances (IECSC), administered by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE)
Jurisdiction People's Republic of China
Status Listed
Tonnage threshold No new-substance threshold applies. Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit NOT required

Classifications under this regime

  • Listed on IECSC
  • NOT on China's Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals
  • NOT on China's Highly Toxic Chemicals Catalog
  • NOT on the Easily-Made Drugs Precursor Chemicals Catalog
  • GB/T 13206-2011 specification applies for industrial-grade glycerol (Chinese national standard)
  • GACC export classifications: HS 290545 (refined glycerol), HS 152000 (crude glycerol)
  • China has substantial domestic capacity (~30%, ~2-3 Mt/yr); production routes: biodiesel byproduct, soap byproduct, epichlorohydrin synthesis (Sinopec + Wanhua)
  • Chinese Pharmacopoeia (ChP) monograph for pharmaceutical-grade glycerol

Restrictions and conditions of use

  • NO Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit required (light hazard)
  • NO Hazardous Chemicals Road Transport Permit required
  • 13% China VAT export rebate for refined glycerol; verify before invoicing
  • GB/T 17519 Chinese-language SDS NOT specifically required for non-hazardous lots
  • Chinese Pharmacopoeia (ChP) conformity for pharmaceutical-grade lots

Importer obligations

For Chinese-origin glycerol exported abroad, no IECSC obligation falls on the foreign importer. Light-regulatory profile. Major Chinese producers: small + medium-scale biodiesel-byproduct + soap-byproduct + epichlorohydrin-route synthesis producers (Sinopec + Wanhua Chemical Yantai for epichlorohydrin route).

Required documents

  • GACC export declaration with HS code 290545 (refined) or 152000 (crude)
  • Industrial-grade certificate per GB/T 13206-2011
  • Standard commercial invoice and packing list
  • Certificate of analysis for grade specification
  • Chinese Pharmacopoeia (ChP) conformity declaration for pharmaceutical-grade lots

Common compliance traps

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

  • **Light IECSC-side regulatory profile alongside sodium chloride batch 16**: NOT on Catalog of Hazardous, NOT on Highly Toxic, NOT on Easily-Made Drugs
  • 13% VAT rebate for refined glycerol
  • Production routes: biodiesel byproduct (~60% globally, expanding with biodiesel demand growth), soap-byproduct (~15%, declining), epichlorohydrin synthesis (~25%, dominant in China at Sinopec + Wanhua scale)
  • Glycerol is the simplest triol; readily biodegradable
  • Crude glycerol from biodiesel (HS 152000) trades at significant discount to refined (HS 290545); refining + purification add value

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for glycerol (glycerine, propane-1,2,3-triol), see the CAS 56-81-5 sourcing reference.

For grade-by-grade buying notes, freight maths, supplier-tier pricing, and a worked landed-cost example, the glycerol (glycerine, propane-1,2,3-triol) cornerstone hub covers the full sourcing chain.

For the structure and history of IECSC, see the IECSC 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.

Free download

Free PDF: the same MSDS verification template the Sourzi team uses to cross-reference factory documents against TSCA, REACH, AICIS, and CDR before booking.