WTO Circulates Notification of Australia on Proposed Environmental Standards for High-Risk Industrial Chemicals

"The World Trade Organization (WTO) circulated a notification from Australia regarding proposed environmental management standards for high-risk industrial chemicals under the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard (IChEMS). The notification includes the following proposals: -Proposed standard – Decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) -Chemical profile – DBDPE -Proposed standard – Mercury and mercury compounds -Chemical profile – Mercury and mercury compounds The IChEMS has been jointly developed by all Australian governments to manage environmental risks associated with industrial chemicals, ensuring consistent requirements for businesses nationwide. The IChEMS Register records standards and corresponding risk management measures for specific industrial uses. To implement these standards, both the federal and state/territory governments will enact relevant legislation. The proposed standards will assign the following chemicals, including mixtures and articles containing them to Schedule 6 of the IChEMS Register: 1.Decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) 2.Mercury and mercury compounds Under Schedule 6, the import, manufacture, use, and export of these substances will be prohibited in Australia, with exceptions for: -Specific essential uses -Unintentional trace contamination -Research -Environmentally sound disposal -Articles already in use prior to the standards' effective date As a Party to the Minamata Convention on Mercury, Australia adheres to Article 4 provisions regarding mercury-added products. The Recycling and Waste Reduction (Mandatory Product Stewardship – Mercury-added Products) Rules 2021 prohibit the manufacture, import, and export of such products, with limited exemptions. As of April 25, 2025, these Rules have automatically incorporated the updated Annex A of the Minamata Convention, as amended by the Fifth Conference of the Parties. The proposed date of adoption for the standards is July 31, 2025. The entry into force is scheduled as follows: for mercury and mercury compounds, the standard will take effect on July 1, 2026 (proposed date) ; for decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), the standard will come into effect on January 1, 2027. The final date for submitting comments on the proposed standards is May 28, 2025."