,"On November 13, 2025, the Australian government department of health, disability and ageing. titled ""Revisions to the Categorisation Guidelines in 2026 — Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS)"" As part of their annual update to the Industrial Chemicals Categorisation Guidelines (Guidelines), we have compiled all the upcoming changes to the Guidelines in September 2026, including some proposals that are open for public comments. The AICIS has opened a consultation for proposed changes to its Industrial Chemicals Categorisation Guidelines, scheduled to take effect in September 2026.The key proposed changes include:
Updating the “high-hazard chemicals” list: 294 chemicals will be added based on recent assessments and external hazard sources, 121 existing chemicals will be updated, 2 chemicals will be removed, and one chemical’s CAS number corrected. These chemicals are considered to have high hazard potential (human-health hazard band C, or environmental hazard band C or D), which generally excludes them from “exempted” or “reported” categories in the chemicals introduction process.
Proposed inclusion of certain salts and esters of highly hazardous chemicals (five specific benzotriazole derivatives) in part 6.5.2 of the Guidelines — open for public comment. This affects how salts/esters are treated in hazard assessment and categorisation.
Streamlining the definition of “chemical identity holder”: currently two different definitions exist (one for flavour/fragrance blends and one for other industrial chemicals). The proposal merges these into a single definition to reflect regulatory changes in the underlying General Rules, without changing actual obligations for importers or manufacturers
Minor editorial updates: updates to reference links (e.g., hazard classification guidance by Safe Work Australia), corrections of typographical errors, formatting adjustments, and re-alphabetization of definition lists. These changes are for clarity and consistency and do not affect regulatory policy.
Removal of chemicals from the list
We will remove the following 2 chemicals from the list, as they no longer appear in the original source documents:
1,1,1-trichloroethane (CAS number 71-55-6)
fluoro(triphenyl)stannane (CAS number 379-52-5).
Even though these 2 chemicals will be removed from the list, they are subject to other regulatory mechanisms that will still limit their introduction into Australia.
Correction of a CAS number on the list
We will correct the CAS number on the list for bis(pentachlorophenyl) carbonate to 7497-08-7.
High hazard salts and esters – open for comment
1H-Benzotriazole, 6-chloro-
1H-Benzotriazole
1H-Benzotriazole, 6-methyl-
1H-Benzotriazole, 6(or 7)-methyl-
1H-Benzotriazole, 7-methyl-
The public is invited to comment on the proposed changes by 28 January 2026."
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