Australia’s AICIS announces “Guide to categorising your chemical importation and manufacture Version 1.4” for business operators 
On March 31, 2022, the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) released a revised version of its self-judgment categorization guide that business operators who intend to import industrial chemicals into Australia must follow.
In the revised Version 1.4 released at this time, the following steps for self-judgment of categorization were revised.
- Steps 4.1 and 5.1 on the introduction of nanoscale* industrial chemicals
- Steps 4.5 and 5.5 on clarifying solids and dispersions related to nanoscale industrial chemicals
- Step 6 on the introduction of evaluated existing chemicals
*Nanoscale: particle diameter range from 1 nm to 100 nm
Revisions to Steps 4.1 and 5.1
A categorization judgment guide was added in a Q&A format for the chemicals to be introduced. The added Q&As are as follows:
- Does your chemical contain a sequence of 4 to 20 fully fluorinated carbon atoms (including per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances, known as PFAS)?
- Is your chemical a certain polyhalogenated organic chemical?
- Is your chemical a certain chemical at the nanoscale?
- Is your chemical a certain gas?
Revisions to Steps 4.5 and 5.5
The following statements were added to clarify that the introduction of chemicals as a solid or a dispersion where there is no information available on its solubility or its particle size cannot be said to have a very low risk to human health and the environment.
- If it is a “chemical that is introduced as a solid or a dispersion where there is no information available on its water solubility or its particle size, and the introduction of any nanoscale portion of the chemical is incidental to the introduction of the non-nanoscale portion”
Revisions to Step 6
It was clarified that “if your chemical is on the Inventory – and your introduction is outside the parameters of the ‘defined scope of assessment’ in the Inventory terms of listing for the chemical – you must be registered with us and apply to vary the terms of an Inventory listing.”
The relevant documents can be viewed from the following URLs:
- AICIS Press Release, “Version 1.4 of the Categorisation Guide (March 2022)”
https://www.industrialchemicals.gov.au/news-and-notices/version-14-categorisation-guide-march-2022 - AICIS, “Guide to categorising your chemical importation and manufacture”
https://www.industrialchemicals.gov.au/help-and-guides/guide-categorising-your-chemical-importation-and-manufacture
