CAS 9002-86-2 · AICIS · Australia

Polyvinyl chloride under AICIS

(C2H3Cl)n · 聚氯乙烯

Status: Listed. Polyvinyl chloride 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 (polymer of low concern). The constituent vinyl chloride monomer (VCM, CAS 75-01-4) is regulated separately as a Schedule 7 Dangerous Poison and IARC Group 1 carcinogen. Australia has limited domestic PVC production; the Australian end-use is downstream construction (pipes, profiles, flooring), packaging, and medical (Vinidex, Iplex Pipelines, Pact Group, Plastex).

AICIS treats PVC polymer as a routine listed industrial chemical and the operational compliance work is light (annual AICIS registration, WHS-compliant SDS, ChAFTA Form CO). The dominant practitioner-facing compliance work is at the formulation step: ACCC mandatory phthalate-plasticiser limits in toys and childcare articles, TGA conformity assessment for medical-device PVC. ChAFTA preferential zero-duty makes the China-Australia PVC lane competitive vs Korean (Hanwha Solutions, LG Chem) and Thai (Indorama Ventures Thailand) alternatives. Minamata Convention mercury-catalyst compliance is increasingly factored into Australian buyer supplier selection; ethylene-route Chinese PVC (Sinopec Qilu, LG Chem Daya Bay, Sumitomo Tianjin) increasingly preferred over coal-route producers (Inner Mongolia Junzheng, Xinjiang Tianye, Qinghai Salt Lake). Australian end-use is dominated by construction (Vinidex, Iplex Pipelines, Plastex).

Listing and threshold

Substance Polyvinyl chloride (CAS 9002-86-2), (C2H3Cl)n
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 (polymer of low concern)
  • Constituent VCM (CAS 75-01-4): SUSMP Schedule 7 Dangerous Poison, IARC Group 1 carcinogen
  • Australian GHS classification for finished PVC: NOT classified as hazardous
  • Phthalate plasticisers (DEHP, DBP, BBP, DIBP) regulated separately under SUSMP and ACCC mandatory standards
  • ACCC mandatory standard Consumer Goods (Plastics) Safety Standard 2010: phthalate limits in toys and childcare articles (DEHP, DBP, BBP at 0.1%)
  • Australian Dangerous Goods Code (ADG 7.7): finished PVC resin is non-DG
  • NOT on Australian Highly Volatile Hydrocarbon list
  • TGA approves PVC for medical-device applications under Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 (blood bags, IV tubing)

Restrictions and conditions of use

  • No AICIS-specific use restrictions for industrial PVC
  • ACCC mandatory standard limits phthalate plasticisers (DEHP, DBP, BBP) in toys and childcare articles to 0.1%
  • WHS Regulation 2011 hazardous-chemicals handling rules apply for VCM monomer (where converted domestically); finished PVC resin handling is light-touch
  • Australia is a signatory to Minamata Convention on Mercury (2017); coal-route Chinese PVC mercury-catalyst compliance is increasingly factored into supplier selection
  • No Australian active AD/CVD case on Chinese-origin PVC currently
  • ChAFTA preferential zero-duty applies to Chinese-origin PVC (HS 3904)
  • TGA medical-device PVC requires Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 conformity assessment

Importer obligations

The Australian importer of record must be registered with AICIS (online registration is straightforward and annual). For Listed Industrial Chemicals like PVC polymer no individual chemical assessment is required. ACCC mandatory phthalate-plasticiser limits apply at the toy / childcare-article finished-product step (downstream of bulk PVC). ChAFTA preferential zero-duty makes Chinese-origin PVC cost-competitive vs Korean (Hanwha Solutions, LG Chem) and Thai (Indorama Ventures Thailand) alternatives. Australian end-use is dominated by construction (Vinidex, Iplex Pipelines for water and sewer pipe; Plastex for window profiles).

Required documents

  • AICIS introducer registration certificate (annual)
  • WHS-compliant Safety Data Sheet (Safe Work Australia model code format) for finished PVC resin
  • Customs entry (ICS / ABF) with HS code 39041000 / 39042100 / 39043000
  • ChAFTA Form CO certificate of origin for preferential treatment
  • Plasticiser composition declaration (ACCC mandatory phthalate limits compliance for toy / childcare-grade)
  • TGA conformity assessment (where medical-device-grade)
  • Mercury-catalyst-free attestation (where buyer requires under Minamata Convention compliance)

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
  • ACCC mandatory phthalate limits apply at finished-product step (toys, childcare articles); verify plasticiser composition before invoicing flexible PVC for these end-uses
  • No Australian active AD/CVD case currently; periodic petitions are not realistic given limited domestic PVC capacity
  • ChAFTA preferential zero-duty makes Chinese-origin PVC competitive vs Korean and Thai alternatives
  • Australian construction industry demand (Vinidex, Iplex Pipelines, Plastex) is structural and counter-cyclical to housing-cycle; pipe-grade PVC (K65-K70) is dominant grade
  • Minamata Convention mercury-catalyst compliance is increasingly factored into Australian buyer supplier selection; ethylene-route Chinese PVC (Sinopec Qilu, LG Chem Daya Bay, Sumitomo Tianjin) increasingly preferred over coal-route
  • Medical-grade PVC for Australian healthcare (blood bags, IV tubing) requires TGA conformity assessment under Therapeutic Goods Act 1989

Where to read next

For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for polyvinyl chloride, see the CAS 9002-86-2 sourcing reference.

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

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

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