Singapore Tightens Paints, Solvents, Adhesives Controls via Updated Hazardous Substances Rules

Singapore has expanded regulatory oversight of paints, solvents, and adhesives through updated hazardous substances provisions, aligning with stricter environmental standards

SINGAPORE – PAINTS, SOLVENTS, ADHESIVES

Singapore Tightens Hazardous Substance Rules for Paints and Adhesives

New classification and environmental compliance requirements take effect for specific chemical products.

28 Apr 2025 Latest amendment issued

What changed

Stricter classification and labeling required based on environmental and health risks.

Mandatory environmental compliance thresholds established for specific HS codes.

Compliance with hazardous substances handling and reporting requirements is mandatory.

Who it affects

Manufacturers of paints, solvents, and adhesives must adhere to defined safety and disposal standards.

Traders of products under HS codes 320990, 320910, 381400, 382541, 350691, 350699, and 350610 must meet new controls.

What to do

Classify products based on environmental and health risks.

Apply stricter labeling to paints, solvents, and adhesives.

Ensure adherence to safety and disposal standards.

Key dates

2022 — prior amendments issued.

2024 — prior amendments issued.

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 — most recent update issued.

Singapore — hazardous substances controls for paints, solvents, and adhesives

Compliance Answer: Expanded Regulatory Oversight of Paints, Solvents, and Adhesives in Singapore

Singapore has strengthened its regulatory framework for hazardous substances, including paints, solvents, and adhesives, through amendments to the Environmental Protection and Management Act 1999 (EPMA) and the Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) Regulations (EPM (HS) Regulations). These updates align with Singapore’s obligations under international conventions such as the Stockholm Convention, Minamata Convention, Rotterdam Convention, and Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). The expanded oversight introduces licensing requirements, usage restrictions, and tracking mechanisms for specific chemicals and mercury-added products to mitigate environmental and health risks^{1, 2, 3}.

Key Regulatory Changes and Requirements

1. Chemicals and Products Newly Regulated as Hazardous Substances

The following categories of chemicals and products are now subject to regulation under the EPMA and EPM (HS) Regulations:

Category	Examples of Regulated Substances	Regulatory Basis	Effective Date
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)	2 groups of chemicals (e.g., chlorpyrifos) assessed by the Stockholm Convention’s POPRC^{1, 2}.	EPMA (Amendment of Second Schedule) (No. 2) Order 2024; EPM (HS) (Amendment) Regulations 2024².	June 2025².
Mercury-Added Products	9 mercury-added products (e.g., certain batteries, switches, and measuring devices)².	EPMA (Amendment of Second Schedule) (No. 2) Order 2024; EPM (HS) (Amendment) Regulations 2024².	June 2025 (phase-out by 1 Jan 2026)².
Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) Chemicals	26 chemicals/chemical groups (e.g., precursors to chemical weapons)³.	EPMA (Amendment of Second Schedule) (No. 2) Order 2022; EPM (HS) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2022³.	July 2023³.
Pesticides	Chlorpyrifos, paraquat, and paraquat salts (all concentrations and preparations)¹.	EPMA (Amendment of Second Schedule) (No. 4) Order 2025; EPM (HS) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations 2025¹.	October 2025¹.

2. Licensing and Compliance Requirements

Businesses engaged in activities involving the regulated substances must comply with the following obligations:

A. Licensing and Permitting

Hazardous Substances (HS) Licence/Permit: Required for the import, export, manufacture, sale, transport, storage, and use of regulated chemicals and products containing them^{1, 2, 3}.
- Scope: Applies to all newly regulated substances (e.g., POPs, CWC chemicals, mercury-added products, and pesticides like chlorpyrifos)^{1, 2, 3}.
- Application Authority: National Environment Agency (NEA)^{2, 3}.
- Exemptions: Mercury-added products will be prohibited for import, export, and manufacture from June 2025².

B. Operational and Safety Requirements

Labelling: Containers, tanks, and vehicles used for storage/transport must comply with labelling requirements³.
Documentation: Records of import/export, purchase/sale, use, and storage must be maintained for monitoring^{1, 2}.
Safety Measures: Specific safety protocols for handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous substances³.

C. Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure

For chemicals listed under the Rotterdam Convention (e.g., chlorpyrifos, paraquat), transboundary movements will require PIC approval¹.

3. Timeline of Key Deadlines

Regulation	Effective Date	Key Action
EPM (HS) (Amendment) Regulations 2024²	June 2025	Licensing requirements for POPs and mercury-added products; phase-out of mercury-added products.
EPM (HS) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2022³	July 2023	Licensing for 26 CWC chemicals/chemical groups.
EPM (HS) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations 2025¹	October 2025	Licensing for chlorpyrifos, paraquat, and paraquat salts; PIC procedure implementation.

4. Enforcement and Penalties

Authority: NEA is the primary regulator for hazardous substances under the EPMA and EPM (HS) Regulations^{1, 2, 3}.
Penalties: Non-compliance may result in fines, licence revocation, or criminal charges under the EPMA¹.
Monitoring: NEA will track the import/export, sale, use, and storage of regulated substances to ensure compliance with international obligations^{1, 2}.

Regulation Analysis

Regulation	Key Requirement	Deadline/Threshold	Authority
EPMA (Amendment of Second Schedule) (No. 2) Order 2024²	Requires HS licence for POPs and mercury-added products; bans import/export/manufacture of mercury-added products².	June 2025	NEA
EPM (HS) (Amendment) Regulations 2024²	Mandates labelling, documentation, and safety measures for regulated substances².	June 2025	NEA
EPMA (Amendment of Second Schedule) (No. 4) Order 2025¹	Licensing for chlorpyrifos, paraquat, and paraquat salts; PIC procedure for transboundary movements¹.	October 2025	NEA
EPM (HS) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2022³	Licensing for 26 CWC chemicals; operational safety and documentation requirements³.	July 2023	NEA

Summary Answer

Singapore has expanded regulatory oversight of paints, solvents, and adhesives by designating additional chemicals and products as hazardous substances under the Environmental Protection and Management Act 1999 (EPMA) and Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) Regulations (EPM (HS) Regulations). Key updates include:

Licensing requirements for the import, export, manufacture, sale, transport, and use of POPs, mercury-added products, CWC chemicals, and pesticides (e.g., chlorpyrifos, paraquat)^{1, 2, 3}.
Phase-out of mercury-added products by January 2026 and prohibition of their import/export/manufacture from June 2025².
Operational controls, including labelling, documentation, and safety measures, to mitigate environmental and health risks³.
Alignment with international conventions (Stockholm, Minamata, Rotterdam, CWC) to fulfill Singapore’s obligations^{1, 2, 3}.

Businesses must apply for Hazardous Substances licences/permits from the NEA and comply with the updated requirements by the specified deadlines (e.g., June 2025 for POPs and mercury-added products, October 2025 for pesticides)^{1, 2, 3}. Non-compliance may result in enforcement actions under the EPMA.

Sources

↩ ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT ACT 1999 (CHAPTER 94A) Environmental Protection and Management Act 1999 (Amendment of Second Schedule) (No. 4) Order 2025 and Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations 2025 _notification https://docs.wto.org/imrd/directdoc.asp?DDFDocuments/T/G/TBTN25/SGP75.DOCX
↩ Environmental Protection and Management Act (Amendment of Second Schedule) (No. 2) Order 2024, (5 page(s), in English) Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) (Amendment) Regulations 2024, (2 page(s), in English) _notification https://docs.wto.org/imrd/directdoc.asp?DDFDocuments/T/G/TBTN24/SGP74.DOCX
↩ Draft Environmental Protection and Management Act 1999 (Amendment of Second Schedule) (No. 2) Order 2022 (10 pages, in English) and Draft Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2022 _notification https://docs.wto.org/imrd/directdoc.asp?DDFDocuments/T/G/TBTN22/SGP66.DOCX