Bisphenol A (BPA) under IECSC
C15H16O2 · 双酚A
Status: Listed. BPA is on the IECSC public portion. New-substance notification under MEE Decree No. 7 (2010) is NOT required. **BPA IS on China's Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals** (Repr 1B + Eye Dam. 1 + Skin Sens. 1 + STOT SE 3 classification). Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit IS required. NOT on Highly Toxic Chemicals Catalog. NOT on Easily-Made Drugs Precursor Chemicals Catalog. **0% China VAT export rebate** for BPA (HS 290723) reflects Beijing aromatic-petrochemical export-discouragement signal. China dominates global BPA capacity (~40%, ~3-4 Mt/yr) led by Sinopec (Yangzi + Shanghai + Beijing), Wanhua Chemical Yantai (integrated PC chain), Henan Shenma Industrial Park, Lihuayi Yangzhou.
BPA is comfortably IECSC-listed but IS on Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals (Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit chain required). NOT on Highly Toxic Chemicals Catalog. NOT on Easily-Made Drugs Catalog. **0% China VAT export rebate**. China dominates global BPA capacity (~40%, ~3-4 Mt/yr) led by Sinopec (Yangzi + Shanghai + Beijing), **Wanhua Chemical Yantai (integrated polycarbonate chain; verify the Wanhua PC nameplate against the Wanhua Chemical investor site before quoting a specific kt/yr figure)**, Henan Shenma Industrial Park, Lihuayi Yangzhou. Production: 2 phenol + acetone → BPA + H2O acid-catalysed condensation (~99% globally). **Phenol (batch 13) + acetone (batch 15) feedstock cost flow-through is dominant**: cumene-process phenol-acetone joint-product chain (1.6:1 fixed mass ratio) flows through to BPA economics structurally.
Listing and threshold
| Substance | Bisphenol A (BPA) (CAS 80-05-7), C15H16O2 |
|---|---|
| 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
- NOT on China's Highly Toxic Chemicals Catalog
- NOT on the Easily-Made Drugs Precursor Chemicals Catalog
- GB/T 13933-2014 specification applies for industrial-grade BPA (Chinese national standard)
- GB/T 13933-2014 covers minimum 99.9% purity (industrial-grade), water content, color (APHA), free phenol content, isomer ratio
- GACC export classification: HS 290723 (4,4'-isopropylidenediphenol / BPA)
- China dominates global BPA capacity (~40%, ~3-4 Mt/yr); ~99% via 2 phenol + acetone → BPA + H2O acid-catalysed condensation route
- GB 6944-2012 dangerous-goods transport classification: not regulated as DG (solid)
Restrictions and conditions of use
- **Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit IS required** for any party producing, storing, or distributing BPA
- Customs Inspection Order may apply for export consignments
- **0% China VAT export rebate** for BPA (HS 290723)
- GB/T 17519 Chinese-language SDS required for domestic distribution
Importer obligations
For Chinese-origin BPA exported abroad, no IECSC obligation falls on the foreign importer. The export-side documentation pack focuses on the Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit chain, the GB/T 17519 Chinese-language SDS, and **EU Reg 2024/3190 food-contact ban compliance documentation** for downstream food-contact-material exports. Major Chinese producers: Sinopec (Yangzi + Shanghai + Beijing), **Wanhua Chemical Yantai (integrated polycarbonate chain; verify the Wanhua PC nameplate against the Wanhua Chemical investor site before quoting a specific kt/yr figure)**, Henan Shenma Industrial Park, Lihuayi Yangzhou. The dominant economic story for Chinese-origin BPA is **phenol (batch 13) + acetone (batch 15) feedstock cost flow-through**.
Required documents
- GACC export declaration with HS code 290723
- Industrial-grade certificate per GB/T 13933-2014 (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
Common compliance traps
The pitfalls that have bitten importers on this lane in the past. None of these is theoretical.
- Hazardous Chemicals Operation Permit chain is the dominant operational complexity
- **0% China VAT export rebate**
- NOT on Highly Toxic Chemicals Catalog
- NOT on Easily-Made Drugs Catalog
- Major Chinese producers: Sinopec (Yangzi + Shanghai + Beijing), **Wanhua Chemical Yantai (integrated polycarbonate chain; verify the Wanhua PC nameplate against the Wanhua Chemical investor site before quoting a specific kt/yr figure)**, Henan Shenma Industrial Park, Lihuayi Yangzhou
- Production: 2 phenol + acetone → BPA + H2O acid-catalysed condensation (~99% globally)
- **Phenol (batch 13) + acetone (batch 15) feedstock cost flow-through is dominant**
- Cumene-process phenol-acetone joint-product chain (1.6:1 phenol-to-acetone fixed mass ratio, batch 13 + 15) flows through to BPA economics structurally
Where to read next
For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for bisphenol a (bpa), see the CAS 80-05-7 sourcing reference.
For grade-by-grade buying notes, freight maths, supplier-tier pricing, and a worked landed-cost example, the bisphenol a (bpa) 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.
Read next
Cross-jurisdiction profile and sourcing references
Regulatory
Bisphenol A (BPA) under REACH
European Union listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
Regulatory
Bisphenol A (BPA) under TSCA
United States of America listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
Regulatory
Bisphenol A (BPA) under AICIS
Australia listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
Regulatory
Bisphenol A (BPA) under K-REACH
Republic of Korea listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
Glossary
IECSC, Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances in China
The Chinese national chemical inventory listing substances legally manufactured, imported, used, or sold in China before 2003. A substance not on IECSC requires a New Chemical Substance Notification (NCSN) under MEE Order 12 before it can be manufactured or imported into China. Functionally similar to TSCA in the US and REACH in the EU but with distinct procedural requirements.
Referenced in
5 pages across the Sourzi moat
This term shows up in 4 regulatory pages, 1 topic clusters. Sample backlinks per content type below.
Regulatory (4)
Bisphenol A (BPA) under REACH
European Union compliance profile for Bisphenol A (BPA).
Bisphenol A (BPA) under TSCA
United States of America compliance profile for Bisphenol A (BPA).
Bisphenol A (BPA) under AICIS
Australia compliance profile for Bisphenol A (BPA).
Plus 1 more regulatory pages.
Free download
Free PDF: the same MSDS verification template the Sourzi team uses to cross-reference factory documents against TSCA, REACH, AICIS, and CDR before booking.