Step 2: Introductions that are automatically categorised as exempted
Certain chemical introductions are considered to be ‘very low risk’ to human health and the environment and are therefore automatically categorised as exempted. Compliance obligations apply, including reporting and record-keeping.
Our categorisation decision tool can also help you with step 2
Chemicals that are imported and subsequently exported
Your introduction is automatically categorised as exempted if all of the following apply:
- the entire volume is imported and subsequently exported out of Australia
- the packaging in which your chemical is immediately contained is never opened
- whilst your chemical is in Australia, it remains under the control of either customs (for longer than 25 working days) or the introducer.
Note: if your chemical is under customs controls whilst in Australia and leaves Australia within 25 days, then your introduction is an excluded introduction.
Chemicals that are only used for research and development
Your introduction is automatically categorised as exempted if all of the following apply (note that the volume of chemical that you can introduce in a registration year is lower, unless you can demonstrate that the nanoscale criteria do not apply to your introduction):
- you only use your chemical for research and development, or you make it available to another person who only uses it for research and development
- you don’t make your chemical available to the public on its own, in combination with other industrial chemicals or as part of an article
- you use control measures to eliminate or minimise any risks to the environment and any risks to the people involved in using the chemical for research and development
and, either 1 or 2 applies:
- you will introduce up to 250kg of your chemical in a registration year and you can demonstrate that your chemical is either:
- not introduced as a solid or in a dispersion or
- does not consist of particles in an unbound state or as an aggregate or agglomerate, at least 50% (by number size distribution) of which have at least one external dimension in the particle size range of 1 to 100 nm, or otherwise
- you will introduce up to 10 kg of your chemical in a registration year
Notes:
- To prove that your chemical is not introduced as a solid or in a dispersion, you might have an SDS or product information sheet that indicates the appearance (for example, in liquid form).
- To prove that your chemical does not consist of particles in an unbound state or as an aggregate or agglomerate, at least 50% of which (by number size distribution) have at least one external dimension in the nanoscale, you might have a study report about the particle size distribution of your chemical.
Learn more about categorising chemicals introduced for research and development
Polymers of low concern (PLC)
Your introduction is automatically categorised as exempted if it meets the criteria for a polymer of low concern and it’s not a high molecular weight polymer that has lung overloading potential.
If you are introducing polymers of low concern, you must submit a once-off exempted introduction declaration by 30 November (following the end of our registration year). Your first AICIS exempted introduction declaration is due by 30 November 2021.
Low-concern biological polymers
Your introduction is automatically categorised as exempted if it’s a low-concern biological polymer that meets all of the following criteria:
- the chemical is a biological chemical (that is, it’s derived from, or produced by, a living or once-living organism)
- the chemical is a polymer
- the polymer meets most of the polymer of low concern criteria, except that it’s not stable, meaning that it substantially degrades, decomposes or depolymerises during use into simpler, smaller weight chemicals
Examples of low-concern biological polymers are keratin and collagen. Enzymes are not polymers because of the lack of variability in molecular weight.
If you are introducing low-concern biological polymers, you must submit a once-off exempted introduction declaration by 30 November (following the end of our registration year). Your first AICIS exempted introduction declaration is due by 30 November 2021.
Polymers that are comparable to listed polymers
Your introduction is automatically categorised as exempted if ALL of the following apply:
- your chemical is a polymer
- your polymer contains exactly the same reactants (must have each of the reactants) as another polymer that is already listed on the Inventory
- your polymer contains one or more other reactants (the additional reactants) that the listed polymer does not
- each additional reactant is present at no more than 2% by weight of the polymer
You must also comply with any regulatory requirements associated with the listed polymer.
Chemicals that are comparable to listed chemicals
If you’re introducing any of the 16 chemicals in the comparable chemicals table below, your introduction is automatically categorised as exempted - as long as you meet any terms and conditions for the listed chemical. This is because these chemicals are comparable to chemicals that are already listed on the Inventory. Check column 2 and 3 of the comparable chemicals table below to see if your chemical is there.
If your chemical is not in the comparable chemicals table
If your chemical is not in the table below and none of the other introductions described on this page apply to you, move on to step 3: Introductions that are automatically categorised as reported.
If your chemical is in the comparable chemicals table
If your chemical is in columns 4/5 of the table, then search the Inventory using the CAS number in column 5. If your chemical is in columns 2/3 of the table, read across the row to get the CAS number of the comparable listed chemical in column 5. Search the Inventory using the CAS number to check the regulatory requirements and obligations for the listed chemical.
If your search results show:
- there are no regulatory requirements for the chemical, your introduction is automatically categorised as exempted
- there are regulatory requirements for the chemical and you can meet these requirements, your introduction is categorised as exempted
- there are regulatory requirements for the chemical, but you cannot meet these requirements and none of the other introductions described on this page apply to you, move onto step 3: Introductions that are automatically categorised as reported.
|
Item |
Industrial chemical to be introduced |
CAS no. of industrial chemical to be introduced |
Industrial chemicals listed on the Inventory |
CAS no. of listed industrial chemical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Aloe barbadensis, extract |
94349-62-9 |
Aloe vera, extract |
85507-69-3 |
| 2 |
Brassica oleracea botrytis, extract |
223749-36-8 |
Cabbage, extract |
89958-13-4 |
| 3 |
Brassica oleracea, extract |
91771-39-0 |
Cabbage, extract |
89958-13-4 |
| 4 |
Brassica oleracea gemmifera, extract |
1174275-27-4 |
Cabbage, extract |
89958-13-4 |
| 5 |
Fatty acids, palm-oil, sodium salts |
61790-79-2 |
Fatty acids, C14-18 and C16-18-unsaturated, sodium salts |
67701-11-5 |
| 6 |
Jojoba, extract |
90045-98-0 |
Jojoba oil |
61789-91-1 |
| 7 |
3,6,9,12,15,18,21,21,24,27-Nonaoxanonatriacontan-1-ol |
3055-99-0 |
Poly(oxy 1,2-ethanediyl), α-dodecyl-ω-hydroxy |
9002-92-0 |
| 8 |
Matricaria recutita, extract |
84082-60-0 |
Oils, Chamomile, German |
8002-66-2 |
| 9 |
Orange, extract |
84012-28-2 |
Orange, sweet, extract |
8028-48-6 |
| 10 |
Pelargonium roseum, extract |
90082-55-6 |
Pelargonium graveolens, extract |
90082-51-2 |
| 11 |
Soya lecithins |
8030-76-0 |
Lecithins |
8002-43-5 |
| 12 |
Soya phospholipids |
308069-41-2 |
Phospholipids |
123465-35-0 |
| 13 |
Spiro[isobenzofuran- 1(3H),9’[9H]xanthen]-3-one, 2’,4’,5’,7’-tetrabromo -4,5,6,7-tetrachloro-3’,6’-dihydroxy-, aluminum salt (3:2) |
15876-58-1 |
Spiro[isobenzofuran-1(3H),9’-[9H]xanthen]-3-one, 2’,4’,5’,7’-tetrabromo-4,5,6,7-tetrachloro-3’,6’-dihydroxy-, aluminum salt (3:1) |
27532-17-8 |
| 14 |
Tridymite |
15468-32-3 |
Silica |
7631-86-9 |
| 15 |
Tylosin, (2R,3R)-2,3-dihydroxybutanedioate (1:1) |
74610-55-2 |
Tylosin, (2R,3R)-2,3-dihydroxybutanedioate (salt) |
1405-54-5 |
| 16 |
Wheat germ oil |
313258-61-6 |
Oils, wheat |
68917-73-7 |
Contact us if you’d like to suggest chemicals to add to this table.
Examples
Your proposed introduction:
Your (unlisted) chemical is (CAS No.61790‑79‑2) ‘fatty acids, palm-oil, sodium salts’ and it's on the comparable chemicals table
The comparable chemical ‘is (CAS No. 67701‑11‑5) ‘fatty acids, C14‑18 and C16‑18‑unsaturated, sodium salts’. Your search of the Inventory reveals there are no regulatory requirements listed for this chemical. This means you can introduce your chemical as an exempted introduction.
Your proposed introduction:
Your (unlisted) chemical is (CAS No.308069‑41‑2) soya phospholipids. You wish to introduce soya phospholipids at a concentration level of 30%.
The comparable chemical is (CAS No. 123465‑35‑0) phospholipids. Your search of the Inventory reveals there are regulatory obligations under the term ‘defined scope of assessment’: This chemical has been assessed as a component of dermal cosmetic products at concentrations no more than 20%. This chemical is not to be used in topical products intended for the eye. You don't meet our conditions of use because the concentration of soya phospholipids in your end use products will be 30%. If none of the other introductions described on this page apply to you, go to step 3: Introductions that are categorised as reported.
Chemicals resulting from non-functionalised surface treatment of listed chemicals
Your chemical introduction is automatically categorised as exempted if the chemical is a non-functionalised surface-treated chemical resulting from a reaction of chemicals that are all listed on the Inventory. To be an exempted introduction, your chemical must meet all of the following criteria:
- it is the result of a reaction between 2 or more chemicals, all of which are listed on the Inventory
- the reaction to produce the chemical occurs at the surface of one of the chemicals (the substrate chemical)
- it does not have any reactive functional groups that were not already on the substrate chemical before the reaction occurred
- it is not a chemical that is a solid or is in a dispersion that consist of particles in an unbound state or as an aggregate or agglomerate, at least 50% (by number size distribution) of which have at least one external dimension in the particle size range of 1 to 100 nm.
What are your obligations for this category?
You can introduce an industrial chemical that’s automatically categorised as exempted into Australia without telling us, as long as you:
- are registered with us
- keep records about the chemical
- submit an annual declaration
You may also need to submit an exempted introduction declaration. This is a once-off post-introduction declaration due after the end of our registration year and only applies if you are introducing:
- polymers of low concern
- low-concern biopolymers
Your first AICIS exempted introduction declaration is due by 30 November 2021.
Even if your introduction is not covered on this page, there is another way that you could categorise your introduction as exempted. To do this, you need to work out your introduction’s indicative risk to human health and the environment. If the indicative risk is very low for both health and the environment, your introduction is categorised as exempted. To work out your introduction’s indicative risk, go to step 4 then step 5.
Check out Step 3 Introductions that are automatically categorised as reported