China issues list of hazardous materials banned from or restricted in use on Chinese-flagged seagoing ships 
On Aug. 14, 2024, China’s Maritime Safety Administration issued a “List of Hazardous Materials Banned from or Restricted in Use on Chinese-flagged Seagoing Ships.” It specifies control measures for the regulated materials.
In the list, “Chinese-flagged seagoing ships” refer to Chinese-flagged seagoing ships operating either internationally or domestically, including ships operating on fixed direct routes in the sea or large rivers.
When the list will take effect is not made clear, but its draft published Feb. 22, 2024 stated that the list would apply to every internationally or domestically operating Chinese-flagged seagoing ship built or repaired on or after June 26, 2025. The draft is available via the link at the bottom of this article.
Details of the list
| No. | Hazardous material | Control measures | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asbestos | Ships shall not newly apply materials containing asbestos. | |
| 2 | Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) | Ships shall not newly apply materials containing PCBs. | |
| 3 | Ozone-depleting substances | Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) | Ships shall not newly apply materials containing ozone-depleting substances. |
| Halons | |||
| Other fully halogenated CFCs | |||
| Carbon tetrachloride | |||
| 1,1,1-Trichloroethane (methyl chloroform) | |||
| Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) | |||
| Hydrobromofluorocarbons (HBFCs) | |||
| Methyl bromide | |||
| Bromochloromethane | |||
| 4 | Anti-fouling systems containing organotin compounds which act as biocides | Ships shall not newly apply or re-apply anti-fouling systems containing organotin compounds which act as biocides.
Ships bearing an anti-fouling system that contains organotin compounds which act as biocides either (1) shall not bear such compounds on their hulls or external parts or surfaces; or (2) shall bear a sealing layer that forms a barrier to such compounds leaching from the underlying noncompliant hazardous anti-fouling systems. |
|
| 5 | Anti-fouling systems containing cybutryne | Ships shall not newly apply or re-apply anti-fouling systems containing cybutryne.
Internationally operating Chinese-flagged ships bearing an anti-fouling system that contains cybutryne in the external coating layer of their hulls or external parts or surfaces shall either (1) remove the anti-fouling system; or (2) apply a sealing layer that forms a barrier to cybutryne leaching from the underlying noncompliant hazardous anti-fouling system at the first renewal of the anti-fouling system after Jan. 1, 2023 (no later than 60 months following the last application to the ship of an anti-fouling system containing cybutryne). |
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The list (in Chinese) is available at
https://www.msa.gov.cn/page/article.do?articleId=DCDE5390-2951-4C06-A5A5-FFBA7AD9C474
The draft list published in February 2024 (in Chinese) is available at
https://www.msa.gov.cn/page/article.do?articleId=E9C536AB-68D4-4854-886C-ACA8FF76E370
