China has published four new mandatory
national standards covering volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in coatings,
adhesives, inks, and cleaning agents. These will impact many industries,
including electrical and electronic.
Released by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR)
and the Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China (SAC)
on March 4, 2020, these mandatory standards cover test methods and content
limits for VOCs in coatings, adhesives, inks and cleaning agents. These are all
high-risk VOC-containing materials. In addition, some of the standards also
contain provisions relating to other hazardous substances.
The standards are:
- GB 30981-2020 – Limit of harmful substances of industrial protective coatings
- GB 33372-2020 – Limit of volatile organic compounds content in adhesive
- GB 38507-2020 – Limits of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in printing ink
- GB 38508-2020 – Limits for volatile organic compounds content in cleaning agents
GB
30981-2020 and GB 33372-2020
replace existing standards, but GB 38507-2020 and GB 38508-2020 are completely
new.
For more information on the specifics
of each standard, review our original SafeGuard 086/20.
These mandatory standards for VOCs are part of the State’s
“three-year action plan to win the battle for a blue sky”, announced by the
State Council of the People’s Republic of China on July 3, 2018. This has the
aim of improving air quality and includes proposals to restrict VOCs across a
variety of industries. The aim is to reduce the emission of VOCs by 10% by
2020, in comparison to the level in 2015.
The effective dates for these standards are:
- December 1, 2020 – GB 30981-2020, GB 33372-2020, GB 38508-2020
- April 1, 2021 – GB 38507-2020
SGS Electrical and Electronic Product Services
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teams of local experts offer a range of services to manufacturers and retailers
in the electronics industry. They understand regulations and standards for
every product and target market and can help reduce risk, improve efficiency,
and ensure compliance. Learn more
about SGS’s Electrical and Electronic Product Services.
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the latest news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the full China
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