CAS 67-56-1 · REACH · European Union

Methanol under REACH

CH3OH · 甲醇

Status: Registered. Methanol is fully registered under REACH at the highest tonnage band (>1,000,000 tonnes/year). Multiple lead registrants are listed under the European chemical-industry consortium (Methanol Holdings, Methanex, BASF). The substance carries a complete REACH dossier with a harmonised CLP entry under Annex VI Index No. 603-001-00-X.

Methanol is REACH-clean and the China-EU lane runs heavy because Europe is short on methanol production capacity and net-imports from China and the Middle East. The compliance work is the OR or in-house registration plus the Member-State-language SDS pack with the eyes-blindness hazard statement (H370) clearly stated. Watch the China coal-to-methanol carbon-intensity story for the 2030+ CBAM scope expansion: roughly 80% of Chinese methanol is coal-routed (vs natural-gas-routed in the Middle East), giving Chinese methanol a higher embedded-carbon footprint that may matter when CBAM widens beyond Phase 1.

Listing and threshold

Substance Methanol (CAS 67-56-1), CH3OH
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

  • Flammable Liquid Cat. 2 (highly flammable liquid and vapour), H225
  • Acute Tox. 3 (oral, dermal, inhalation), H301 + H311 + H331
  • STOT SE 1 (specific target organ toxicity, single exposure, eyes), H370 (causes optic-nerve damage and blindness)
  • GHS pictograms: GHS02 (flame), GHS06 (skull and crossbones), GHS08 (health hazard)
  • Signal word: Danger
  • Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI Index No. 603-001-00-X

Restrictions and conditions of use

  • NOT on REACH Annex XIV (Authorisation list)
  • REACH Annex XVII Restriction 69 (introduced by Reg (EU) 2018/589, public-sale ban effective 9 May 2019): methanol in windscreen-washer or defrosting fluids restricted to <0.6% by weight when supplied to the general public (anti-poisoning rule); verified against https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/589
  • NOT classified as SVHC (Substance of Very High Concern)
  • NOT scheduled under EU Regulation (EC) No 273/2004 on Drug Precursors
  • NOT a regulated explosives precursor under Regulation 2019/1148

Importer obligations

A non-EU producer cannot register directly under REACH. The EU importer of record must hold a registration in their own name or rely on an Only Representative (OR) appointment by the non-EU manufacturer. Methanol carries a heavier acute-toxicity classification than caustic soda or sulfuric acid (skull and crossbones pictogram, blindness hazard) so the SDS exposure scenarios and Member-State-language labelling discipline are stricter. Restriction 69 applies only to retail-grade windscreen-wash, not to industrial bulk methanol, so industrial B2B trade is unaffected.

Required documents

  • REACH registration number on the EU side (registrant or OR-appointed)
  • Safety Data Sheet (SDS) compliant with REACH Annex II in destination Member State language(s), with extended exposure scenarios for industrial / professional use
  • CLP-compliant labelling on packaging including the harmonised CLP Annex VI hazard statements
  • ADR-compliant transport documentation (UN 1230, Class 3 + 6.1, PG II for road / rail in the EU)

Common compliance traps

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

  • Restriction 69 (>0.6% in windscreen wash for general public) catches some vehicle-aftermarket resellers off guard; industrial and B2B sales of bulk methanol are unaffected
  • Methanol acute oral toxicity (10 mL can blind, 30 mL can kill) drives stricter packaging requirements for any non-industrial channel
  • EU CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) does NOT include methanol in the 2026 Phase 1 scope but the China coal-to-methanol carbon-intensity story is on the watch-list for 2030+ scope expansion
  • OR arrangements expire and need renewal; verify current status before shipping
  • Some Member States (Germany, Netherlands) require additional national chemicals notification beyond Federal REACH

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for methanol, see the CAS 67-56-1 sourcing reference.

For grade-by-grade buying notes, freight maths, supplier-tier pricing, and a worked landed-cost example, the methanol 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.

Read next

Cross-jurisdiction profile and sourcing references

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