AICIS has released the 2026 Industrial Chemicals Categorisation Guidelines and updated its categorisation guide, effective from 2026-09-01. The list of chemicals with high hazards for categorisation has 293 new entries and updates to 122 existing entries. The definition of ‘chemical identity holder’ has been unified.
Who this affects
Businesses importing or manufacturing chemicals in Australia.
Potential business impact
For businesses importing chemicals and related finished products or raw materials into Australia from Korea or elsewhere, changes to the high-hazard chemicals list and criteria may affect introduction categories and evidence requirements.
General matter to check
Check whether imported or manufactured chemicals fall within the updated 2026 high-hazard chemicals list and hazard band C criteria using the AICIS online categorisation guide.
General information only; not tax, legal or FX advice, and not an exchange-rate forecast. Recheck applicability and current status in the linked official sources and with an appropriate adviser.
Helps reduce regulatory compliance risks and checking time for imports and manufacturing by allowing bulk comparison of listed chemicals and related regulatory obligations via the Excel file.
This update provides practical guidance for small businesses preparing for sales events, managing lithium-ion batteries, dealing with tax debt, and improving customer retention.
