Taiwan issues advance notice of restrictions on import of asbestos-added products” 
On April 19, 2022, the Environmental Protection Administration, Executive Yuan of Taiwan announced the draft of “Restrictions on the Import of Asbestos-added Products”, giving notice of the ban on the import of asbestos-added products. The deadline for submitting comments is 60 days after the release date of the draft. The use of asbestos is being gradually regulated in Taiwan. For example, the “Categories and Management of Handling for Toxic Chemical Substances” stipulates that the use of asbestos in brake linings is prohibited from January 1, 2018. To strengthen regulations on the import of asbestos-added products, the draft released this time stipulates that the import of products containing asbestos will be prohibited with only a few of exempted items. According to a certain source related to the matter, the draft will be officially promulgated and implemented around August or September in 2022.
Notice of the “Restrictions on the Import of Asbestos-added Products” (tentative translation of the original text)
[Notice]: The import of asbestos-added products is prohibited. However, the Restrictions shall not apply for any of the following situations on conditions that the applicant prepares a certification document, goes through the examination and obtains permission from the central competent authority.
- Where it is necessary for public protection and military applications.
- For research, tests and education.
- Cannot obtain a suitable substitute for asbestos-free products.
According to a report in the Liberty Times of Taiwan, the above draft is expected to be officially promulgated and implemented around August or September in 2022 (the information source is mentioned as the Environmental Protection Administration, Executive Yuan of Taiwan.
For the original text of the draft, please refer to the following URL (in Traditional Chinese).
https://join.gov.tw/policies/detail/18628f7f-9e44-4103-bdfa-f7728d5d5f8b
