Information you need to work out your introduction category

Chemical identity - do you have the proper name of your chemical?

You must know this. If you don’t, you must have a relationship with someone who does know it and can provide it to you or directly to us. Usually, it will be your supplier.

Related information on this topic

Record keeping - outlines requirements for suppliers to be able to provide information to us, such as the proper name of the chemical.

Confidential business information - we have measures to protect a supplier's CBI. For example, your supplier can add chemical identity information into a pre-introduction report (these are required for reported introductions). We will see this information, not you.

Inventory (part 1) — is your chemical on the Inventory? You must check this.

The Inventory is our chemical database of chemicals available for industrial use in Australia. If you don’t know your chemical's identity, you might need to ask your supplier to check the Inventory for you and to let you know if the chemical is there or not.

If you are searching the Inventory yourself, you need to understand what your search results mean. You also need to understand what to do next if you can't find the chemical. Sometimes, a chemical is listed on the Inventory but won't come up in search results because of CBI. We can help in this regard by confirming whether the chemical is listed or not.

Related information on this topic

What your Inventory search results will show — explanations of listing terms and steps to follow.

I can't find my chemical on the Inventory — the reasons you might be having trouble getting a search result on the Inventory and steps to follow.

Inventory (part 2) — if the chemical is on the Inventory

Does your introduction comply with any terms or conditions in the Inventory listing? This includes any requirements to provide AICIS with specific information about your introduction.

If you don’t know the chemical identity of the chemical you are introducing, you’ll need to ask your supplier to help you confirm that your introduction meets the terms or conditions of the Inventory listing. We suggest that your supplier tell you what the terms or conditions of the Inventory listing of your chemical are, so that you can ensure that your introduction of the chemical meets these.

Related information on this topic

If your introduction does not comply, read this guidance — what to do if you don't meet any Inventory terms of listing

If your introduction does comply, it is a 'listed introduction'. 

Introduction volume

Do you know the total quantity of chemical in kilograms that you will manufacture or import into Australia within a registration year (September- August)?

You might need this to work out your exposure band for human health and the environment.

Steps 2, 3, 4.1, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3

Introduction concentration

Do you know what the concentration (%) of your chemical will be when it’s introduced into Australia?

You might need this to work out the human health exposure band.

Steps 3 and 4.3

End use concentration

Do you know the final concentration (%) of the chemical in end use products?

You might need this to work out the human health exposure band.

 Steps 3, 4.2 and 4.3

End use 

Do you know what the chemical will ultimately  be used for?

You might need this to help you work out your exposure band for human health and the environment.

Steps 1, 2, 3, 4.2, 5.2 

Hazard information 

Do you have any existing hazard information available on the chemical or from suitable read-across information?

Note that the higher your introduction's exposure band, the more hazard information you will need to work out your chemical's hazard characteristics and then it's introduction category.

Steps 4.2, 4.4, 5.2, 5.4 

Specified classes of introduction

Do you know if your introduction a ‘specified class of introduction? Are you introducing any of these specified classes of introduction?

• Highly branched organic chemicals 
• Chemicals for end use as biocidal actives 
• Chemicals that involve a designated kind of release into the environment 
• Biochemicals 
• GM products 
• Certain chemicals at the nanoscale 
• Polyhalogenated organic chemicals 
• Chemicals that contain a sequence of 4 to 20 fully fluorinated carbon atoms 
• UV filters 
• Chemicals for end use in articles with food contact 
• Chemicals for end use in personal vaporisers 
• Chemicals for end use in tattoo inks 
• Chemicals for end use in articles that are children’s toys or children’s care products

Specified classes of introduction might have different requirements for categorisation. You might need to know if your introduction is one when following our categorisation steps.

To find out more about specified classes of introduction, refer to section 7 of the General Rules.

Steps 2, 3, 4.1, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 5.1, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5

It's useful to have this information as it will help you get to your introduction category more easily.

Is your chemical a polymer?

Some requirements only apply to polymers such as some of the environment exposure band criteria.

Steps 2, 4.4, 5.5

If your chemical is a polymer, do you know its molecular weight? Is it a high molecular weight polymer?

High molecular weight polymers usually have less information requirements for categorisation.

Steps 2, 4.4, 5.3, 5.4

International assessments

Has there been an international assessment of your chemical?

Was it assessed by a trusted / accepted overseas assessment body for risks to human health or the environment?

Does your introduction meet the criteria for international assessments? Some (but not all) of the criteria for international assessments includes:

• the chemical must have been internationally assessed for the same end use as your planned use in Australia 
• the risks to human health or the environment in Australia must not be any higher than the risks overseas 
• the risks must be able to be managed in Australia

You must follow our detailed guidance on criteria for international assessments in steps 4.2 (human health) and 5.2 (environment)

If you can answer yes all the criteria for international assessments, it could mean there is a streamlined pathway to work out your introduction category, and that the introduction category could be lower than it might have otherwise been.

Steps 4.2, 5.2