CAS 7697-37-2 · REACH · European Union

Nitric acid under REACH

HNO3 · 硝酸

Status: Restricted. Nitric acid is fully registered under REACH. **Distinguishing pattern: Ostwald process downstream of ammonia batch 37 (NH3 + air → NO → NO2 → HNO3; ~99% globally) + ammonium nitrate (AN) primary downstream (~75%, fertiliser + explosives) + closes ammonia batch 37 + DAP batch 11 + aniline batch 26 + caprolactam batch 14 chains + EU Drug Precursors Reg 273/2004 Category 3 (alongside acetone batch 15 + sulfuric acid batch 2) + EU Explosives Precursors Regulation (EU) 2019/1148 (concentration thresholds for retail) + Acute Tox. 1 inhalation H330 fatal-if-inhaled (>70% concentration) + Skin Corr. 1A + Ox. Liq. 2 (oxidiser) (NEW combined).** Reg (EC) 1272/2008 harmonised: Ox. Liq. 2 + Skin Corr. 1A + Acute Tox. 1 inhalation (>70% conc). NOT SVHC. NOT Annex XIV.

Nitric acid is fully REACH-registered with **substantial regulatory burden**: Ox. Liq. 2 + Skin Corr. 1A + Acute Tox. 1 inhalation (>70% conc) + EU Drug Precursors Cat 3 + EU Explosives Precursors Reg 2019/1148. **Closes ammonia batch 37 + DAP batch 11 + aniline batch 26 + caprolactam batch 14 chains via Ostwald process**. Major Chinese producers: Sinopec, CNPC, Tianji Coal Chemical, Yangtze Industrial, Sichuan Lutianhua. China dominates global nitric acid capacity (~30%, ~25-30 Mt/yr). End-use: ammonium nitrate / AN (~75%, fertiliser ~80% + explosives ANFO ~15% + technical-grade ~5%), aniline batch 26 / nitrobenzene route (~10%), caprolactam batch 14 / adipic acid / nylon (~10%), other (~5%).

Listing and threshold

Substance Nitric acid (CAS 7697-37-2), HNO3
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 Restricted
Tonnage threshold Registration required for any importer or manufacturer placing >1 t/year on the EU market

Classifications under this regime

  • Harmonised CLP classification: Ox. Liq. 2 (H272, "may intensify fire; oxidiser"; for >70% conc), Skin Corr. 1A (H314), Acute Tox. 1 inhalation (H330, "fatal if inhaled"; for >70% conc), Eye Dam. 1 (H318)
  • Signal word: DANGER
  • GHS pictograms: GHS03 (oxidiser flame over circle), GHS05 (corrosion), GHS06 (skull and crossbones)
  • IARC: nitric acid itself is not separately classified; occupational exposure to strong-inorganic-acid mists containing sulfuric acid was classified IARC Group 1 (laryngeal cancer) in Monograph Volume 54 (1992) (verify the current classification and Monograph volume against https://monographs.iarc.who.int/list-of-classifications before relying on the inorganic-acid-mist read-across for nitric acid)
  • **EU Drug Precursors Regulation (EC) No 273/2004**: nitric acid scheduling category requires verification (verify against the consolidated Reg 273/2004 categorised list at EUR-Lex CELEX 02004R0273 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2004/273/oj before relying on a specific category; prior dataset asserted Cat 3 alongside acetone)
  • **EU Explosives Precursors Regulation (EU) 2019/1148**: nitric acid is a regulated explosives precursor with retail concentration thresholds; verify the current limit values and authorisation regime against EUR-Lex https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/1148/oj before relying on a specific concentration cutoff (prior dataset asserted >3% restricted, >10% authorisation, >70% professional-only)
  • ADR / RID transport classification: Class 8 (corrosive substance), UN 2031 (fuming nitric acid >70%) / UN 2032 (red fuming) / UN 2031 (other concentrations)

Restrictions and conditions of use

  • NOT on REACH Annex XIV (Authorisation list)
  • NOT classified as SVHC
  • **EU Drug Precursors Reg 273/2004 Category 3 obligations**: operator registration with national competent authority, customer due diligence, transaction record-keeping, suspicious-transaction reporting
  • **EU Explosives Precursors Regulation (EU) 2019/1148** retail concentration thresholds (>3% restricted, >10% authorisation, >70% professional-only)
  • NO active EU AD case on Chinese-origin nitric acid currently
  • Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM): NOT in CBAM Phase 1 scope; downstream products (DAP batch 11) ARE in CBAM scope

Importer obligations

A non-EU producer cannot register directly under REACH. The EU importer of record must hold a registration or rely on an Only Representative (OR). The dominant practitioner-facing layer is **EU Drug Precursors Cat 3 + EU Explosives Precursors Reg 2019/1148 dual scheduling**: operator registration + customer due diligence + transaction record-keeping + suspicious-transaction reporting + retail concentration restrictions. Major Chinese producers: Sinopec, CNPC, Tianji Coal Chemical, Yangtze Industrial, Sichuan Lutianhua. EU domestic producers: BASF Ludwigshafen, Yara, OCI Geleen, Borealis Linz Austria.

Required documents

  • REACH registration number on the EU side (registrant or OR-appointed)
  • Safety Data Sheet (SDS) compliant with REACH Annex II reflecting H272 / H314 / H318 / H330 classification
  • CLP-compliant labelling with GHS03 + GHS05 + GHS06 pictograms and DANGER signal word
  • Customs entry with HS code 280800 (nitric acid)
  • ADR consignment note for transport (Class 8, UN 2031 / 2032)
  • **Drug Precursors Cat 3 operator licence** in destination Member State
  • **Explosives Precursors operator + customer documentation** per Reg 2019/1148

Common compliance traps

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

  • **EU Drug Precursors Cat 3 + EU Explosives Precursors Reg 2019/1148 dual scheduling** is the dominant practitioner overhead
  • **Closes ammonia batch 37 + DAP batch 11 + aniline batch 26 + caprolactam batch 14 chains via Ostwald process**
  • Acute Tox. 1 inhalation H330 fatal-if-inhaled (for >70% conc) drives heavy workplace exposure-control overhead
  • NOT SVHC
  • NO active EU AD case
  • NOT in CBAM Phase 1 scope (downstream DAP batch 11 IS in CBAM scope)
  • Major Chinese producers: Sinopec, CNPC, Tianji Coal Chemical, Yangtze Industrial, Sichuan Lutianhua. China dominates global nitric acid capacity (~30%, ~25-30 Mt/yr 100% basis)
  • Production: Ostwald process (NH3 + air → NO → NO2 → HNO3; ~99% globally)
  • End-use mix: ammonium nitrate / AN (~75% globally, fertiliser ~80% of AN + explosives ANFO ~15% + technical-grade ~5%), aniline batch 26 / nitrobenzene route (~10%), caprolactam batch 14 + adipic acid / nylon chain (~10%), other (~5%)
  • Ammonium nitrate (AN) is dual-use civil + military explosives precursor; CAS 6484-52-2

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for nitric acid, see the CAS 7697-37-2 sourcing reference.

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

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Cross-jurisdiction profile and sourcing references

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