CAS 71-43-2 · IECSC · People's Republic of China

Benzene under IECSC

C6H6 · 苯

Status: Listed. Benzene is on the IECSC public portion as a foundational aromatic and BTX chain product. New-substance notification under MEE Decree No. 7 (2010) is NOT required. **Benzene IS on China's Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals** (Carc 1A + Muta 1B + STOT RE 1 + Asp. Tox. 1 + Flam. Liq. 2 classification matching EU REACH harmonised). **Benzene IS on China's Highly Toxic Chemicals Catalog**: heaviest-compliance substance in dataset alongside phenol batch 13 + formaldehyde batch 18 because Public Security Bureau supervision, traceability, training, inventory-control all required at every node in export chain. NOT on Easily-Made Drugs Precursor Chemicals Catalog. **0% China VAT export rebate** for benzene (HS 290220) reflects Beijing aromatic-petrochemical export-discouragement signal. China dominates global capacity (~50%, ~40-45 Mt/yr).

Benzene is comfortably IECSC-listed but IS on **BOTH the Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals AND the Highly Toxic Chemicals Catalog** (heaviest-compliance substance in the dataset alongside phenol batch 13 + formaldehyde batch 18). Public Security Bureau supervision + Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit chain dual-permit overhead. **0% China VAT export rebate** is structural Beijing aromatic-petrochemical export-discouragement signal (similar to phenol batch 13 + toluene batch 20 + xylene batch 21). China dominates global capacity (~50%, ~40-45 Mt/yr) led by Sinopec (Yangzi + Shanghai + Maoming + Yueyang), CNPC (Karamay + Jilin + Daqing), Hengli Petrochemical Dalian, Wanhua Chemical Yantai, Zhejiang Petrochemical Zhoushan / ZRCC. Petroleum reformer route dominates (~70%); steam-cracker pyrolysis-gasoline ~25%; coal-tar route ~5%. **Downstream feedstock chain dominates Chinese benzene consumption**: ethylbenzene → styrene → polystyrene + ABS (~50%), cumene → phenol batch 13 + acetone batch 15 (~20%), cyclohexane → caprolactam batch 14 + nylon (~12%), nitrobenzene → aniline → MDI / TDI (~10%). Capacity additions 2024-2026 extend Chinese dominance toward ~52-55%.

Listing and threshold

Substance Benzene (CAS 71-43-2), C6H6
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 required regardless of volume

Classifications under this regime

  • Listed in China's Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals
  • **Listed in China's Highly Toxic Chemicals Catalog** (Public Security Bureau supervision; same level as phenol batch 13 + formaldehyde batch 18)
  • NOT on the Easily-Made Drugs Precursor Chemicals Catalog
  • GB/T 2283-2008 specification applies for industrial-grade benzene (Chinese national standard)
  • GB/T 2283-2008 covers minimum 99.8% purity (industrial-grade), water content, sulfur content, color (APHA), distillation range
  • GACC export classification: HS 290220 (benzene)
  • China dominates global capacity (~50%, ~40-45 Mt/yr); ~70% via petroleum reformer route, ~25% via steam-cracker pyrolysis-gasoline, ~5% via coal-tar route (Henan + Shanxi inland coal cluster)
  • GB 6944-2012 dangerous-goods transport classification: Class 3 (flammable liquid), UN 1114

Restrictions and conditions of use

  • **Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit IS required** for any party producing, storing, or distributing benzene
  • **Highly Toxic Chemicals Public Security Bureau permit chain** required for production / storage / distribution
  • Hazardous Chemicals Road Transport Permit required for road shipment of bulk benzene
  • Customs Inspection Order routinely applies for export consignments
  • No specific export-restriction or quota system applies
  • **0% China VAT export rebate** for benzene (HS 290220); reduced from 13% reflects Beijing aromatic-petrochemical export-discouragement signal (similar to phenol batch 13 + toluene batch 20 + xylene batch 21)
  • GB/T 17519 Chinese-language SDS required for domestic distribution
  • MEE 2024 guidance prefers steam-cracker pyrolysis-gasoline + petroleum reformer integrated capacity additions; restricts new coal-tar route capacity
  • Chinese capacity additions 2024-2026 (Hengli Petrochemical Phase 4, Zhejiang Petrochemical Phase 3, Sinopec Yangzi expansion, Wanhua Chemical Yantai expansion) extend dominance toward ~52-55%

Importer obligations

For Chinese-origin benzene exported abroad, no IECSC obligation falls on the foreign importer. The export-side documentation pack focuses on the Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit chain, the **Highly Toxic Chemicals Public Security Bureau supervision chain** (operator registration + traceability + training + inventory-control), the GB/T 17519 Chinese-language SDS, and ADG 7.7 Class 3 transport documentation. **Highly Toxic Chemicals + Hazardous Chemicals dual-permit chain is the heaviest compliance overhead** in the dataset (alongside phenol batch 13 + formaldehyde batch 18). Major Chinese producers (Sinopec Yangzi + Sinopec Shanghai + Sinopec Maoming + Sinopec Yueyang, CNPC Karamay + CNPC Jilin + CNPC Daqing, Hengli Petrochemical Dalian, Wanhua Chemical Yantai, Zhejiang Petrochemical Zhoushan / ZRCC) compete with Korean (LG Chem Yeosu, Hanwha Solutions, Lotte Chemical, GS Caltex, S-Oil), Singaporean (ExxonMobil, Shell), Indian (Reliance Jamnagar), Saudi (Aramco / SABIC / PetroRabigh) producers.

Required documents

  • GACC export declaration with HS code 290220
  • Industrial-grade certificate per GB/T 2283-2008 (minimum 99.8% purity)
  • GHS-compliant SDS in Simplified Chinese per GB/T 17519-2013 (effective 31 January 2014, references UN GHS 4th revised edition; verify against the current version of GB/T 17519 at https://www.codeofchina.com/standard/GBT17519-2013.html)
  • Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit chain documentation (producer / forwarder / port operator)
  • **Highly Toxic Chemicals Public Security Bureau permit chain documentation**
  • Hazardous Chemicals Road Transport Permit (where road-shipped from inland producers)
  • GB 6944-2012 Class 3 dangerous-goods transport documentation

Common compliance traps

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

  • **Highly Toxic Chemicals + Hazardous Chemicals dual-permit chain is the heaviest compliance overhead in the dataset** (alongside phenol batch 13 + formaldehyde batch 18)
  • **0% China VAT export rebate** is structural Beijing aromatic-petrochemical export-discouragement signal
  • **Highly Toxic Chemicals Public Security Bureau supervision** parallel to Hazardous Chemicals chain; both chains must be maintained for export
  • Major Chinese producers concentrated at coastal Sinopec + CNPC + Hengli + Wanhua + Zhejiang Petrochemical mega-complexes
  • Petroleum reformer route dominates Chinese capacity (~70%); steam-cracker pyrolysis-gasoline ~25%; coal-tar route ~5% (Henan + Shanxi inland coal cluster)
  • BTX chain economics: Chinese reformer + steam-cracker capacity additions drive coupled benzene + toluene + xylene supply growth
  • **Downstream feedstock chain dominates Chinese benzene consumption**: ethylbenzene → styrene → polystyrene + ABS (~50%), cumene → phenol batch 13 + acetone batch 15 (~20%), cyclohexane → caprolactam batch 14 + adipic acid + nylon (~12%), nitrobenzene → aniline → MDI / TDI (~10%)
  • GACC sometimes blocks shipments if SDS is missing the Chinese-only fields (mainland-China emergency contact, GHS Chinese pictograms, Chinese Highly Toxic Chemicals registration number)

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for benzene, see the CAS 71-43-2 sourcing reference.

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

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Cross-jurisdiction profile and sourcing references

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