ASIAN PAINT REGULATORY ROUND UP – INDONESIAN EXTERIOR PAINT STILL USES LEAD, WARNS WORLD BANK
November 25th, 2024A World Bank study released in October revealed that 58% of Indonesian households with visible interior paint still use products containing lead, posing significant health risks, especially to children under five. An estimated 10.2 million young Indonesian children live in homes with lead-based paint, with 14% of them at heightened risk from deteriorating paint conditions, according to the report.
It said 77% of popular paint brands on sale in Indonesia exceed safe lead levels, contributing to long-term health issues such as reduced IQ, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular problems.
The country’s industry ministry denied the report’s claims, stating that Indonesia’s decorative paints meet national standards, which limit lead content to below 90 parts per million (ppm), in line with World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations.
*Vietnam’s ministry of industry and trade’s department of chemicals has released a draft amended chemical law that reduces administrative procedures followed by manufacturers and handlers of chemical products including paints and coatings. It includes special incentives and support for investment projects in the chemical sector, redesigning Vietnam’s chemical management system and supplementing regulations on the management of hazardous chemicals in products. Officials said the changes are designed to reflect how Vietnam’s legal system has developed since the country’s Law on Chemicals took effect in 2008, including through commitments made in new generation free trade agreements such as the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement and new international conventions and treaties on chemical management, such as the UN Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC).
*Paint and coating companies in Taiwan will from the New Year feel the impact of the island’s new carbon pricing system, with additional fees paid by the energy sector and manufacturing industries that emit more than 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, such as key suppliers including the petrochemical sector.
The country’s ministry of environment has now approved charging rates. Taking effect January 1, 2025, Taiwan’s Standard Carbon Fee Rate will be New Taiwan Dollar TWD300 (USD9.34) per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gases. https://www.moenv.gov.tw/en/375192F88A851A76/ed49e408-fb08-482f-b4b7-50ebe56af0ea
*The National Assembly of South Korea is debating a proposed ‘Special Law on the Reduction and Management of Microplastics’, which mandates the national and local governments, businesses and citizens to reduce and manage the generation and discharge of microplastics. The sale, manufacture, or import of products that contain or contain primary microplastics exceeding the safety standards and that may cause direct contact or exposure during use shall be banned. This will impact the coatings sector, given studies have estimated that paint accounts for between 9 and 21% of microplastics in the world’s ocean and waterways. http://www.kwaste.or.kr/bbs/board.php?bo_table=board26&wr_id=259
*The Philippine Paint and Coatings Association has announced a policy-making partnership with Glenn Banaguas, a scientific diplomat and laureate of the United Nations Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction. The association and Banaguas have agreed to develop a net-zero emission roadmap; using eco-friendly, non-toxic materials to minimise environmental impact; adopting technologies to reduce carbon emissions and operational costs; encouraging material recycling to foster a sustainable production cycle; shifting to less harmful water-based alternatives; and evaluating product impacts to guide more sustainable practices. An initial assessment will be conducted at Quezon-based paint manufacturer Times Paint Corporation.
*The Chinese government has approved a revised group standard for ‘Indoor Wall and Wood Recoating Services and Acceptance Specification’. The standard was drafted by a Chinese subsidiary of the Netherlands-based AkzoNobel Paints (Shanghai) Co, Langfang Nippon Paint Co, the Carpoly Chemical Group Co and other units. Its goal is ensuring the quality of indoor wall and wood recoating services in China, meeting Chinese environmental requirements. https://www.chinacoatingnet.com/news/show.php?itemid=11649
*Japan’s ministry of economy, trade and industry’s industrial safety and security group has announced its preliminary procedures for submitting certain electronic applications for market authorisations of chemical substances, including those found in paint and coatings. Under the system using Japan’s e-gov application system, companies will make filings in fiscal year 2025 (April 2025 to March 2026) regarding chemical substances used in small quantities, special applications for new chemical substances also used in low production volume, as well as reporting on chemical intermediates. Before submitting electronic applications, companies must request an applicant code, downloading a hard copy form for submission by registered mail.
*India’s department of chemicals and petrochemicals – part of the ministry of chemicals and fertilizers, has extended the enforcement date of mandatory standards – quality control orders (QCO) – for two polymers used to make paints and coatings until December 12, 2024. The QCOs for polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride homopolymers, originally published on February 26, 2024, were to come into force on August 23, 2024. (https://alephindia.in/pdf/new-qco/bis-qco-for-the-polypropylene.pdf).
Meanwhile, the department has also extended the dates of implementation of QCOs for p –Xylene, used as thinner in the paint industry, and polyurethanes to March 19, 2025. https://indianchemicalregulation.com/indias-department-of-chemicals-and-petrochemicals-announces-amendments-to-quality-control-orders-for-p-xylene-and-polyurethanes/
*Malaysian government training agency Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) has signed an agreement with Nippon Paint to strengthen technical and vocational education and training in Malaysia, with a focus on the growing automotive coating industry.
The partnership aims to equip 240 MARA students and 37 lecturers with specialised auto-refinishing skills, supported by Nippon Paint experts. Under the agreement, up to 24 MARA training centres will be certified as Nippon Paint training centres, ensuring that their programmes align with industry standards and market demands. Malaysia’s automotive industry is a vital pillar of the national economy, producing a record 799,731 vehicles in 2023. MARA provides training to ethnic Malays and other population groups deemed indigenous to Malaysia.
*The Australian government’s department of health and aged care has published a new chemical assessment of chemicals used in paint and coatings. It covers cycloalkane used as a solvent in paint and varnishes and cyclohexane used as a paint and varnish remover, among others, with the government concluding environmental health risks were acceptable. The evaluations were within an Australian Industrial Chemical Introduction Scheme check for chemicals under market approval consideration. Information required includes chemical identity details, hazard information and a summary of risks to human health and the environment. https://www.industrialchemicals.gov.au/news-and-notices/new-chemical-assessment-statement-published-14-november-2024
*Paint and coatings companies operating in Thailand are assessing new guidelines released by the country’s Food & Drug Administration (FDA) about what data is required from companies seeking to register hazardous chemicals. The new guidance clear definitions for filing classifications, for example ‘technical grade raw materials’, ‘semi-finished raw materials’, and ‘finished products’. The Thai FDA has also updated its list of hazardous substances requiring safety assessments. But has also reduced documentation requirements for hazardous substances intended for export, emphasising self-certification by Thai chemical companies. https://www.knoell.com/en/news/thailand
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