CAS 7664-93-9 · AICIS · Australia

Sulfuric acid under AICIS

H2SO4 · 硫酸

Status: Listed. Sulfuric acid is on the AICIS (Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme; replaced NICNAS on 1 July 2020 under the Industrial Chemicals Act 2019, verify against https://www.industrialchemicals.gov.au/about-us/who-we-are-and-what-we-do) Inventory of Industrial Chemicals as a Listed Industrial Chemical. The substance was on the original NICNAS inventory at scheme inception (1990) and carries through to AICIS post-2020. Concentrations >50% are also on the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons (SUSMP, also known as the Poisons Standard) Schedule 6 (Poison; "Substances with a moderate potential for causing harm" requiring distinctive packaging with strong warnings; verified against TGA Poisons Standard at https://www.tga.gov.au/products/regulations-all-products/legislation-and-legislative-instruments/poisons-standard-susmp): retail sale is restricted, industrial-only without retail packaging.

AICIS treats sulfuric acid as a routine listed industrial chemical and the importer side just needs current registration plus an Australian-format WHS SDS. ChAFTA preferential zero-duty makes the China-Australia sulfuric lane structurally clean for industrial-grade tonnage. Australian mining demand (copper SX-EW heap leach, uranium ISL leach, nickel laterite acid leach) is the structural pull. Olympic Dam, Mt Isa, Cobar, and Olympic Mountain projects each consume bulk acid at industrial scale. SUSMP Schedule 6 is only relevant if you're repackaging for retail sale; industrial bulk is unaffected.

Listing and threshold

Substance Sulfuric acid (CAS 7664-93-9), H2SO4
Regime Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS), administered by the Department of Health
Jurisdiction Australia
Status Listed
Tonnage threshold AICIS introducer registration required for any business introducing >100 kg/year of any industrial chemical

Classifications under this regime

  • Listed Industrial Chemical on AICIS Inventory
  • GHS classification: Skin Corr. 1A (H314), Carcinogen 1A (mists, H350i)
  • SUSMP Schedule 6 (Poison) for >50% concentration: retail packaging restrictions
  • Workplace exposure standard (Safe Work Australia): TWA 0.05 mg/m³ (thoracic fraction), STEL 0.15 mg/m³
  • WHS Regulation 2011 hazardous-chemical handling rules apply

Restrictions and conditions of use

  • No AICIS-specific use restrictions for industrial sulfuric acid
  • SUSMP Schedule 6 means concentrations >50% must be in approved containers with poison labelling for any sale
  • Australian Dangerous Goods (ADG 7.7) Code applies for road / rail transport (UN 1830 / UN 2796 / UN 1832)
  • NSW EPA additional storage requirements above threshold quantities (sulfuric acid commonly triggers Notification of Chemicals Storage)
  • Some states (WA, QLD) have explosives-precursor reporting through state Police, similar to the EU framework but lighter

Importer obligations

The Australian importer of record must be registered with AICIS (online registration is straightforward and annual). For Listed Industrial Chemicals like sulfuric acid no individual chemical assessment is required. For >50% concentration, SUSMP Schedule 6 packaging and labelling rules apply; industrial bulk is exempt from retail restrictions but the transition to repackaged retail-grade product needs Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) compliance review.

Required documents

  • AICIS introducer registration certificate (annual)
  • WHS-compliant Safety Data Sheet (Safe Work Australia model code format)
  • SUSMP Schedule 6 compliant labelling for any concentration >50% offered outside industrial bulk
  • Australian Dangerous Goods (ADG) Code declaration for road / rail transport
  • Customs entry (ICS / ABF) with HS code 280700
  • Notification of Chemicals Storage (NSW EPA) if storage above threshold

Common compliance traps

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

  • AICIS registration must be CURRENT at customs clearance; lapsed registrations trigger holds at first arrival
  • WHS SDS format differs from US OSHA HCS and EU REACH eSDS: Australian-format SDS is required
  • SUSMP Schedule 6 packaging rules catch first-time importers selling repackaged retail product (cleaning chemicals, drain unblockers, automotive battery acid)
  • NSW, QLD, VIC have additional storage and transport rules beyond Federal; check destination-state SafeWork / EPA
  • Australia is a large net importer of sulfuric acid for the mining sector (copper SX-EW, uranium leach, gold cyanidation pre-treatment); minesite acid plant offtakes vs imported tonnage compete on freight + tank availability

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for sulfuric acid, see the CAS 7664-93-9 sourcing reference.

For grade-by-grade buying notes, freight maths, supplier-tier pricing, and a worked landed-cost example, the sulfuric acid cornerstone hub covers the full sourcing chain.

For the structure and history of AICIS, see the AICIS 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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