At a press conference in April, 2025, Huang Haihua, the spokesperson for the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee’s Legislative Affairs Commission, declared that the People’s Republic of China’s Draft Law on Hazardous Chemicals Safety had been formally incorporated into the NPC Standing Committee’s 2025 Legislative Work Plan. Alongside laws like the Atomic Energy Law and the Law on the Prevention and Control of Public Health Emergencies, the draft will move forward as a crucial legislative project to fortify China’s public safety governance framework and national security system, thereby legalizing hazardous chemical safety management. 

Background

With its extensive industrial scale and wide sectoral coverage, China is a global leader in the production, use, import/export, and consumption of hazardous chemicals, but it also faces significant safety challenges. Specialized legislation is required to improve governance skills since current regulations have not been able to fulfill the demands of full-chain, multi-stage safety management. In order to create a lifecycle regulatory framework, the draft law includes requirements for the planning, manufacture, storage, use, trade, transportation, registration, emergency response, and legal liability associated with hazardous chemicals. It covers safety management for hazardous chemical manufacturing, storage, use, trading, and transportation.

Structure of the Draft

There are nine chapters (124 articles) in the draft.

1. Basic Provisions 

2. Design and Organization 

3. Safety of Production and Storage 

4. Safety of Use 

5. Safety of Trade 

6. Safety of Transportation

7. Emergency Response and Registration, 

8. Legal Liability, and 

9. Supplementary Provisions. 

 

 

Key Provisions

• Before starting work in hazardous chemical facilities, employees must complete competency tests and get training.

• For hazardous substances, digital lifecycle monitoring and electronic labeling will be used.

• Importers and producers are required to furnish proper Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and labeling; failure to do so will result in fines.

• Low-volume, low-emission compounds are exempt from registration during the R&D and testing stages.

• It is forbidden to handle compounds with unknown dangerous qualities without authorization.

Legislative Progress

Huang Haihua provided an update on the most recent revisions and significant legislative proposals for the National People’s Congress Standing Committee’s 2025 Legislative Work Plan on April 25, 2025. In order to improve and perfect the public safety governance mechanisms and the national security system, the Law on Hazardous Chemicals Safety has been identified as a priority for enactment. It is planned to proceed concurrently with amendments to the Cybersecurity Law, the Public Security Administration Punishments Law, and other laws.

The draft went onto public comment following its initial review in December 2024 during the 13th session of the 14th Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. In particular, Huang Haihua stated that the draft openly revealed the specifics of the consultation process and extensively sought public input via platforms like the website of the National People’s Congress. 

Public Consultation Highlights

• Widespread Participation: 3,500 entries from 1,353 people and 7 public letters were received via the NPC website. The submissions focused on improving legal liability, enhancing industrial park development, elucidating corporate accountability, and fortifying full-chain control.

• Expert Input: 14 NPC deputies made 36 recommendations, with a focus on digital tracking systems and worker training.

• Grassroots Insights: Through field research and forums, 14 local legislative hubs (such as Zhumadian, Henan, and Kuqa, Xinjiang) collected input that highlighted dynamic oversight of industrial parks and developing threats.

Next Steps

Based on feedback from the public, the NPC Legislative Affairs Commission will update the draft and move on with further discussions. The law will be implemented according to a priority timeframe, giving China a solid legal basis for managing the safety of dangerous chemicals.

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