CAS 78-93-3 · AICIS · Australia

Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK, butan-2-one) under AICIS

C4H8O · 丁酮 / 甲乙酮

Status: Listed. MEK is on the AICIS Inventory of Industrial Chemicals as a Listed Industrial Chemical. **SUSMP Schedule 5 (Caution) applies for retail mixtures above concentration cutoffs** (similar to ethyl acetate batch 23 plus n-butyl acetate batch 24 plus toluene batch 20 plus xylene batch 21 SUSMP Schedule 5). **Australian Drug Control Act / Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations Schedule 4 / 9 Cat III precursor scheduling** (alongside acetone batch 15 plus toluene batch 20 pattern; methamphetamine precursor concern). NO active Australian AD/CVD case on Chinese-origin MEK (verify against the Anti-Dumping Commission portal before invoicing). Australia has limited domestic MEK production; structurally net-importer for downstream paint plus coating plus ink plus adhesive industries. ChAFTA preferential zero-duty applies for Chinese-origin imports.

AICIS treats MEK as a routine listed industrial chemical with **SUSMP Schedule 5 (Caution) scheduling for retail mixtures** plus **Drug Control Act Cat III precursor scheduling** (parallel to acetone batch 15 pattern). The operational compliance work is moderate (annual AICIS registration, WHS-compliant SDS, ADG 7.7 Class 3 transport). NO active Australian AD/CVD case. ChAFTA preferential zero-duty makes Chinese-origin MEK competitive. Australia has **limited domestic MEK production**; structurally net-importer.

Listing and threshold

Substance Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK, butan-2-one) (CAS 78-93-3), C4H8O
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
  • Australian GHS classification: Flam. Liq. 2 (H225), Eye Irrit. 2 (H319), STOT SE 3 (H336)
  • Signal word: DANGER. GHS pictograms: GHS02 plus GHS07
  • SUSMP Schedule 5 (Caution) applies for retail mixtures above concentration cutoffs
  • **Australian Drug Control Act / Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 Schedule 4 / 9 Category III precursor scheduling**
  • Australian Dangerous Goods Code (ADG 7.7): Class 3 (flammable liquid), UN 1193, Packing Group II
  • Safe Work Australia workplace exposure standard: 150 ppm 8-hr TWA, 300 ppm STEL (verify against Safe Work Australia workplace exposure standards database before relying)
  • IARC: Group 3

Restrictions and conditions of use

  • No AICIS-specific use restrictions for industrial-grade MEK above concentration cutoffs
  • SUSMP Schedule 5 retail packaging rules apply for retail mixtures
  • **Australian Drug Control Act Cat III precursor declaration** required for retail-distribution chain
  • NO active Australian AD/CVD case on Chinese-origin MEK currently
  • WHS Regulation 2011 hazardous-chemicals handling requirements apply at workplaces handling MEK bulk above declared thresholds
  • NFPA-equivalent flammable liquid storage requirements apply for bulk; ATEX-zoned warehousing may be required
  • ChAFTA preferential zero-duty applies to Chinese-origin MEK (HS 291412)

Importer obligations

The Australian importer of record must be registered with AICIS. SUSMP Schedule 5 applies for retail mixtures. **Drug Control Act Cat III precursor declaration** required for retail-distribution chain (parallel to acetone batch 15 pattern). Australia has limited domestic MEK production; structurally net-importer. Major Australian downstream consumers: Dulux Group (paint), Wattyl, PPG Industries Australia, BASF Australia, Henkel Australia, Australian printing industry. ChAFTA preferential zero-duty makes Chinese-origin MEK competitive vs Korean plus Japanese alternatives.

Required documents

  • AICIS introducer registration certificate (annual)
  • WHS-compliant Safety Data Sheet (Safe Work Australia model code format) reflecting H225 / H319 / H336 classification
  • Customs entry (ICS / ABF) with HS code 291412
  • **SUSMP Schedule 5 (Caution) labelling compliance** for retail mixtures
  • **Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 Cat III precursor declaration**
  • ChAFTA Form CO certificate of origin for preferential treatment
  • ADG 7.7 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.

  • AICIS registration must be CURRENT at customs clearance
  • SUSMP Schedule 5 (Caution) scheduling for retail mixtures
  • **Drug Control Act Cat III precursor declaration** required for retail-distribution chain (parallel to acetone batch 15 pattern)
  • NO active Australian AD/CVD case on Chinese MEK currently
  • ChAFTA preferential zero-duty makes Chinese-origin MEK competitive vs Korean plus Japanese alternatives
  • Australian end-use is dominated by paint plus coating plus ink plus adhesive plus printing industries

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for methyl ethyl ketone (mek, butan-2-one), see the CAS 78-93-3 sourcing reference.

For grade-by-grade buying notes, freight maths, supplier-tier pricing, and a worked landed-cost example, the methyl ethyl ketone (mek, butan-2-one) cornerstone hub covers the full sourcing chain.

For the structure and history of AICIS, see the AICIS glossary entry.

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Read next

Cross-jurisdiction profile and sourcing references

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