CAS 75-21-8 · IECSC · People's Republic of China

Ethylene oxide (oxirane) under IECSC

C2H4O · 环氧乙烷

Status: Listed. Ethylene oxide is on the IECSC public portion as a foundational ethylene oxide and downstream MEG / ethanolamine / surfactant feedstock. New-substance notification under MEE Decree No. 7 (2010) is NOT required. **EO IS on China's Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals**. **EO IS on China's Highly Toxic Chemicals Catalog**: heaviest-compliance substance in dataset alongside phenol batch 13 + formaldehyde batch 18 + benzene batch 22 + aniline batch 26. Public Security Bureau supervision required. NOT on Easily-Made Drugs Precursor Chemicals Catalog. **0% China VAT export rebate** for EO (HS 291010). China dominates global capacity (~50%, ~15-20 Mt/yr EO-equivalent). **EO is structurally NOT internationally traded as bulk** from China; intra-complex captive consumption dominates for downstream MEG (batch 8) + ethanolamine + surfactant production.

EO is comfortably IECSC-listed but IS on **BOTH the Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals AND the Highly Toxic Chemicals Catalog** (heaviest-compliance substance in dataset alongside phenol batch 13 + formaldehyde batch 18 + benzene batch 22 + aniline batch 26). **0% China VAT export rebate**. **EO is structurally NOT internationally traded as bulk** from China; intra-complex captive consumption dominates for downstream MEG (batch 8) + ethanolamine + surfactant production. China dominates global capacity (~50%, ~15-20 Mt/yr EO-equivalent) led by Sinopec (Yangzi + Shanghai + Maoming), Wanhua Chemical Yantai, Hengli Petrochemical Dalian, Zhejiang Petrochemical / ZRCC. All integrated upstream of MEG + ethanolamine + surfactant production. Production: ethylene + oxygen direct oxidation with silver catalyst (~99% globally).

Listing and threshold

Substance Ethylene oxide (oxirane) (CAS 75-21-8), C2H4O
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 + benzene batch 22 + aniline batch 26)
  • NOT on the Easily-Made Drugs Precursor Chemicals Catalog
  • GB/T 13098-2006 specification applies for industrial-grade EO (Chinese national standard)
  • GB/T 13098-2006 covers minimum 99.9% purity (industrial-grade), water content, aldehyde content, acidity
  • GACC export classification: HS 291010 (ethylene oxide)
  • China dominates global capacity (~50%, ~15-20 Mt/yr EO-equivalent); ~99% via ethylene + oxygen direct oxidation with silver catalyst
  • GB 6944-2012 dangerous-goods transport classification: Class 2.3 (toxic gas), UN 1040 (refrigerated liquefied)

Restrictions and conditions of use

  • **Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit IS required** for any party producing, storing, or distributing EO
  • **Highly Toxic Chemicals Public Security Bureau permit chain** required for production / storage / distribution
  • Hazardous Chemicals Road Transport Permit required for road shipment of bulk EO
  • Customs Inspection Order routinely applies for export consignments
  • **0% China VAT export rebate** for EO (HS 291010)
  • GB/T 17519 Chinese-language SDS required for domestic distribution

Importer obligations

For Chinese-origin EO exported abroad, no IECSC obligation falls on the foreign importer. **EO is structurally NOT internationally traded as bulk** from China; intra-complex captive consumption dominates for downstream MEG (batch 8) + ethanolamine + surfactant production. The export-side documentation pack (rare for EO) focuses on Hazardous Chemicals + Highly Toxic Chemicals dual-permit chain (heaviest IECSC compliance overhead alongside phenol batch 13 + formaldehyde batch 18 + benzene batch 22 + aniline batch 26). Major Chinese producers: Sinopec (Yangzi + Shanghai + Maoming), Wanhua Chemical Yantai, Hengli Petrochemical Dalian, Zhejiang Petrochemical / ZRCC. All integrated upstream of MEG (batch 8) + ethanolamine + surfactant production.

Required documents

  • GACC export declaration with HS code 291010
  • Industrial-grade certificate per GB/T 13098-2006 (minimum 99.9% 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
  • **Highly Toxic Chemicals Public Security Bureau permit chain documentation**
  • GB 6944-2012 Class 2.3 dangerous-goods transport documentation (refrigerated liquefied)

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 + benzene batch 22 + aniline batch 26)
  • **0% China VAT export rebate**
  • **EO is structurally NOT internationally traded as bulk** from China; intra-complex captive consumption dominates
  • Major Chinese producers: Sinopec (Yangzi + Shanghai + Maoming), Wanhua Chemical Yantai, Hengli Petrochemical Dalian, Zhejiang Petrochemical / ZRCC
  • All Chinese producers integrated upstream of MEG (batch 8) + ethanolamine + surfactant production
  • Production route: ethylene + oxygen direct oxidation with silver catalyst (~99% globally)

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for ethylene oxide (oxirane), see the CAS 75-21-8 sourcing reference.

For grade-by-grade buying notes, freight maths, supplier-tier pricing, and a worked landed-cost example, the ethylene oxide (oxirane) 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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