Polyethylene (PE; LDPE / LLDPE / HDPE / UHMWPE) under REACH

Listing and threshold

Restrictions and conditions of use

• Article 2(9) polymer exemption applies
• NOT classified as SVHC
• NOT subject to any Annex XVII restriction
• NO active EU AD case on Chinese-origin PE currently
• NOT in CBAM Phase 1 scope
• **EU Polymer Strategy revision (2026-2027 timeline)** is candidate for polymer registration; PE high-priority
• **EU PPWR (Reg 2025/40)** mandates 30% recycled-content for plastic packaging by 2030 + 40% by 2040

Common compliance traps

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

• **REACH-exempt under Article 2(9) polymer exemption** (alongside PVC batch 10 + PP batch 47)
• **Closes ethylene chain** (largest petrochemical commodity globally, ethylene ~210 Mt/yr)
• 4 grades: **LDPE** (low-density, film + flexible packaging), **LLDPE** (linear low-density, film + injection moulding), **HDPE** (high-density, rigid container + pipe + cable), **UHMWPE** (ultra-high-molecular-weight, technical applications)
• Constituent monomer ethylene (CAS 74-85-1) IS REACH-registered separately
• **EU Polymer Strategy revision (2026-2027 timeline)** is high-priority polymer registration candidate
• **EU PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation Reg (EU) 2025/40)** (verify the Regulation number, recycled-content targets, and effective dates against EUR-Lex https://eur-lex.europa.eu/ before relying) mandates 30% recycled-content for plastic packaging by 2030 + 40% by 2040
• **EU Single-Use Plastics Directive (Reg (EU) 2019/904)** (verify the consolidated Directive text and effective date against EUR-Lex https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/904/oj before relying) restricts certain PE products since July 2021
• NO active EU AD case on Chinese PE currently
• NOT in CBAM Phase 1
• Major Chinese producers: Sinopec, CNPC, Hengli, **Shenghong Petrochemical Lianyungang Xuwei (a leading single-site integrated petrochemical complex; verify the most recent commissioning date and combined capacity Mt/yr against Shenghong Petrochemical investor disclosures and the Lianyungang Xuwei park public documents before quoting world-largest rank or a specific Mt/yr figure; sister batch to Lianyungang Xuwei park 50 atlas)**, Wanhua Chemical Yantai, Zhejiang Petrochemical Zhoushan / ZRCC. China dominates global PE capacity (~22%, ~25-30 Mt/yr but rapidly growing)
• Production routes: gas-phase (UNIPOL + INEOS + Lupotech), solution (Sclairtech), high-pressure tubular reactor (LDPE) + autoclave (LDPE specialty)
• End-use mix: film + flexible packaging (~50%, dominant LDPE + LLDPE end-use), rigid container + bottle (~20%, HDPE), pipe + cable (~10%, HDPE), other (~20%)