How Chemicals Are Classified In China
Why Are Chemicals Classified Before Shipping?
As in the United Nations, chemicals in China are classified into two categories: non-hazardous and dangerous.
Why would you want to know how chemicals are classified before you import?
#1. Chinese Customs Officials have to know
The safety information for the specific chemical must be declared to Chinese Customs before the substance is shipped.
Customs officials would ensure that all the chemicals are properly packed and labeled.
The market bureau will impose heavy fines if exporters handle and export dangerous chemicals without the required authorization certificates.
#2. The Shipping company needs to ensure safe shipping by air or sea.
All chemical shippers must inform the shipping company of the physical and chemical properties of their chemical goods and whether they will ship them by sea, air, rail, truck, or courier.
Take the courier company FedEx, for example. Before they pick up the chemical from you, they will ensure it is safe to ship by air.
It means you must show them the certificate of safe air transportation issued by DGM or other authorities.
If you send a dangerous chemical, FedEx will reject the pickup.
Warehouse fires at airports or seaports are no longer news.
The reason is that exporters or freight agents did not declare the goods honestly.
Then, the worst-case scenario occurred: the packing was damaged, a large fire broke out, and many containers were destroyed in the disaster.
Chinese Customs must label the exact types of chemicals on the carton, or officials will not let them pass through.
Meanwhile, if the chemicals are not adequately labeled and formally declared, they will cause serious Import clearance issues with the destination Customs, too.
Non-hazardous chemicals are like common goods, such as books and clothes.
These chemicals, categorized as safe for air, courier, etc., can be shipped as non-dangerous goods with the Certificate of Safe Transport for Chemicals.
No alarming or unique labels are required, and are stuck as those below:
Chemical Classifications
You can see from the labels of the dangerous goods that those hazardous Chemicals are classified as below:
Class 1: Explosives
Division 1.1 Substances and articles have a mass explosion hazard.
Division 1.2 Substances and articles have a projection hazard but not a mass explosion hazard.
Division 1.3 Substances and articles have a fire hazard, a minor blast hazard, a minor projection hazard, or both, but not a mass explosion hazard.
Division 1.4 Substances and articles present no significant hazard.
Division 1.5: Very insensitive substances have a mass explosion hazard.
Division 1.6: Extremely insensitive articles do not have a mass explosion hazard.
Class 2 Gases
Division 2.1:1 Flammable gases.
Hydrogen is a flammable gas.
Division 2.2 Non-flammable and non-toxic gases.
Nitrogen (N2) is not flammable or toxic.
Division 2.3 Toxic gases.
Chlorine is a standard toxic gas in our daily life.
Class 3: Flammable liquids
Class 4: Flammable solids
The substance is liable to spontaneous combustion. Substances that are in contact with water emit flammable gases.
Division 4.1 Flammable solids, self-reactive substances, and Solid desensitized explosives.
Division 4.2 Substances are liable to spontaneous combustion.
Division 4.3 Substances in contact with water emit flammable gases.
Class: 5 Oxidizing substances and organic peroxides
Division 5.1: Oxidizing substances.
Division 5.2: Organic peroxides.
Class 6: Toxic and infectious substances
Division 6.1: Toxic substances.
Division 6.2: Infectious substances.
Class 7: Radioactive materials
Class 8: Corrosive substances
Class 9: Miscellaneous dangerous substances and articles, including environmentally hazardous substances
The numerical order of the classes and divisions has nothing to do with the degree of danger.
Many of the substances assigned to classes 1 to 9 are deemed, without additional labeling, to be environmentally hazardous.
Wastes shall be transported in accordance with the requirements of the appropriate class, taking into account their hazards and the criteria outlined in these regulations.
Wastes not otherwise subject to these regulations but covered under the Basel Convention may be transported on Class 9.
So, if your chemical supplier tells you that a particular product is hazardous, you can cross-check the specific hazard and make sure they’re not bluffing to overcharge you.
Any readers with different ideas are welcome to share by email or leave a message.
