CAS 77-92-9 · K-REACH · Republic of Korea

Citric acid under K-REACH

C6H8O7 · 柠檬酸

Status: Registered. Citric acid is registered under K-REACH and listed as a Priority Existing Chemical (PEC). Citric acid is NOT TCCA-restricted, NOT on the Korean Drug Management Act precursor list. The regulatory profile is light. Food-grade citric acid is regulated under Korea's Food Sanitation Act through the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS).

K-REACH treats citric acid as a routine PEC-registered substance with no TCCA overlay; the regulatory work is light. The China-Korea citric lane is structurally substantial because Korean beverage and food manufacturing demand (CJ CheilJedang, Lotte Chilsung, Maeil Dairies, Otsuka Korea) is bulk consumer; KCFTA preferential zero-duty supports cost-competitive supply. Korean Trade Commission anti-dumping case status varies historically; verify current case status before committing volume pricing. MFDS food-grade certification is the operator-relevant differentiation from industrial-grade.

Listing and threshold

Substance Citric acid (CAS 77-92-9), C6H8O7
Regime Korea Act on the Registration and Evaluation of Chemicals (Act No. 11789, "K-REACH" amended 2018)
Jurisdiction Republic of Korea
Status Registered
Tonnage threshold K-REACH registration required for existing chemicals manufactured or imported >1 tonne/year (verified per Korean Ministry of Environment / NIER guidance, https://chemical.chemlinked.com/chempedia/k-reach; threshold for new substances was reduced from 0.1 t/y to 1 t/y effective 1 January 2025 per K-REACH 2025 amendment)

Classifications under this regime

  • Korean GHS classification: Eye Irrit. 2, Skin Irrit. 2
  • Korea Occupational Safety and Health Act (KOSHA) workplace exposure standard: nuisance dust thresholds
  • NOT on Korea TCCA Toxic Chemicals list
  • NOT on Korea Drug Management Act precursor list
  • Korean Customs Service (KCS) HS code: 29181400
  • Listed in K-REACH database under "general industrial use, low-hazard"
  • MFDS Korean Food Code food-additive listing for food-grade product

Restrictions and conditions of use

  • No TCCA Toxic Chemicals Handling Permit required
  • No Chemical Accident Prevention Plan (CAPP) required
  • Korea Industrial Safety and Health Act (KOSHA) MSDS in Korean required at workplace (brief, minimal hazards)
  • Korea Customs Service requires K-REACH registration number on import declaration
  • MFDS Korean Food Code purity criteria apply for food-grade product
  • Korean Trade Commission has conducted anti-dumping investigations on Chinese citric acid; status varies (verify current case)

Importer obligations

The Korean importer of record must hold K-REACH registration in their own name or rely on an Only Representative (OR). Food-grade product additionally requires MFDS Korean Food Code purity criteria compliance. Korean beverage and food manufacturing demand (CJ CheilJedang, Lotte Chilsung, Maeil Dairies, Otsuka Korea) is the structural pull. Korean Trade Commission anti-dumping investigations on Chinese citric have occurred; verify current case status before invoicing volume contracts.

Required documents

  • K-REACH registration number on Korean side (registrant or OR-appointed)
  • Korean-language MSDS compliant with Korean GHS (brief, minimal hazards)
  • Korean Customs Service (KCS) declaration with HS code 29181400
  • China-Korea FTA Form CO certificate of origin for preferential treatment
  • MFDS food-grade compliance certificate (where food-grade)

Common compliance traps

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

  • Korean GHS hazard-statement codes use H-codes mapped to Korean translations; SDS in English-only is rejected at workplace inspection (despite minimal hazards)
  • MFDS food-grade purity criteria differ from FSANZ, EU 231/2012, and FDA GRAS / FCC; verify destination spec before invoicing
  • Korean Trade Commission anti-dumping case status varies; monitor active investigations before committing pricing
  • KCFTA preferential zero-duty applies but verify producer-specific eligibility (Form CO certified by Chinese authority)
  • Korean beverage manufacturers spec FCC-grade or MFDS-grade; industrial-grade is unsuitable for food applications
  • Calcium-citrate intermediate route vs direct fermentation route may matter for some Korean buyers; verify before spec

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for citric acid, see the CAS 77-92-9 sourcing reference.

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

For the structure and history of K-REACH, see the K-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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