ROHS Compliance

New Products to Be Added to the Import Ban 

On February 12, 2026, Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment (MOENV) issued a draft amendment to the Restrictions on the Import of Mercury-Containing Products. Stakeholders are invited to submit comments within 60 days from the date of the announcement. The proposed revision aims to align with regulatory updates under the Minamata Convention by expanding the list of mercury-containing products subject to import bans and modifying provisions related to exemptions. The draft also indicates that the revised regulation is planned to come into force on May 1, 2026. 

Mercury‑Containing Products Prohibited from Import 

The list of mercury‑containing products prohibited from import has been revised as shown below (newly added items in bold): 

No 

Product Name 

1 

Switches and relays 

2 

High‑pressure mercury lamps for general lighting 

3 

Fluorescent lamps with integrated ballasts for general lighting of 30W or less 

4 

Cold‑cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) and external‑electrode fluorescent lamps (EEFLs) for electronic displays 

5 

Strain gauges used in instruments for sphygmography 

6 

Vacuum pumps 

7 

Weights attached to vehicle wheels to maintain wheel balance 

8 

Photographic film and printing paper 

9 

Propellants used in satellites, spacecraft, and space vehicles 

10 

Electrical and electronic measuring instruments such as melt pressure transducers, transmitters, and sensors 

11 

Non‑electronic measuring instruments such as barometers, hygrometers, pressure gauges, and thermometers (including medical thermometers), and blood pressure monitors 

  

Mercury‑Containing Products Prohibited from Import Starting January 1, 2027 

  • Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) for general lighting 

  • Linear and non‑linear fluorescent lamps using halo phosphate phosphors for general lighting 

  

Mercury‑Containing Products Prohibited from Import Starting January 1, 2028 

  • Linear and non‑linear fluorescent lamps using tri‑phosphor coatings for general lighting 

  

Revisions to Exemption Provisions 

Importation may be allowed with the submission of relevant supporting documents and approval from the central competent authority if any of the following conditions are satisfied (revised sections indicated in bold): 

  • When considered necessary for public safety or military applications 

  • When intended for research, testing, educational purposes, instrument calibration, or use as reference standards 

  • When appropriate mercury-free alternatives are unavailable for the following products: 

  • Ultra-high-precision capacitance and dissipation factor measuring bridges, as well as high-frequency RF switches and relays used in monitoring equipment 

  • Cold-cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) and external-electrode fluorescent lamps (EEFLs) used in electronic displays 

  • Electrical, electronic, or non-electronic measuring instruments installed in large equipment or required for high precision measure me