On May 28, 2026, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China (MIIT), together with seven national ministries, officially publicized the Compliance Management Catalogue for the Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Products (2026 Version)(hereinafter referred to as “the Management Catalogue”) and the Application Exemption List for the Restricted Substances under the Compliance Management Catalogue (2026 Version) (hereinafter referred to as “the Exemption List”). The announcement was finalized on May 22, 2026 and was announced to take effect on the date of issuance, meaning that the previous version of Management Catalogue and the Exemption List (announced by MIIT in 2018) were simultaneously repealed and are replaced by these newly issued documents.

Identical to the requirements of the 2018 Catalogue and Exemption List, products included in the Management Catalogue must ensure that the content of the ten restricted substances complies with the relevant standards for the restricted use of hazardous substances by the deadlines specified in the Catalogue. Such products are also subject to the China RoHS conformity assessment system. Products listed in the Exemption List may comply with the corresponding exemption requirements set forth therein.

With the rapid advancement of next-generation information technologies, the variety of electrical and electronic products (EEPs) has grown considerably, and public demand for green and healthy consumption has intensified, necessitating an expansion of the original 2018 Catalogue. At the same time, China's ongoing implementation of international conventions, including the Minamata Convention on Mercury and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants etc., has brought about significant changes in exemption provisions for restricted substances. To continue promoting the industry's green transformation, fulfill international treaty obligations, and align with relevant laws and regulations, MIIT led seven other ministries and commissions to conduct this revision. The primary legal instruments referenced include the Ecological and Environmental Code of the China (issued on March 12 of 2026 by the National People's Congress of China) and the Measures for the Administration of the Restricted Use of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Products (issued by MIIT in 2016).  

The revision was guided by four overarching principles:

-   Ensure that the new Management Catalogue and Exemption List are consistent with the existing management system and regulatory framework.

-   Take full account of the technical and economic viability of hazardous substance controls for newly included products.

-   Build on the realities of China's domestic industry while drawing on international regulatory experience.

-   Set reasonable transition periods based on factors such as product penetration, production and sales volumes, and environmental risks.

The Management Catalogue encompasses a total of 33 product categories. The original 12 product categories from the first batch have been consolidated and optimized into 10, and 23 new product categories with broad application and mature control conditions have been added. The newly added products include:

-   Household and similar-use appliances that are increasingly common in daily life, such as microwave ovens, projectors, and portable power banks;

-   Emerging information technology products with rapid renewal cycles, such as smart watches and bands, earphones, smart speakers, robotic vacuum cleaners, electronic smart locks, and servers;

-   Products of high consumer concern regarding safety and health, such as electric toys, reading and writing task lamps, electronic blood pressure monitors, and hearing aids.

Compared with the 2018 version, the Exemption List has been revised to delete six exemption provisions and update one, based on newly effective provisions of international environmental conventions. It also refines ten existing provisions and adds six new exemption provisions with reference to international exemption practices and the newly included products, for instance, adding an exemption for phthalates in parts recovered from electronic medical devices and used for repair or refurbishment.

In terms of compliance requirements, products within the Management Catalogue must meet the limit requirements for the ten restricted substances as set forth in the mandatory national standard GB 26572-2025 Requirements for restricted use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic products and other applicable supporting standards. They are also subject to the China RoHS conformity assessment system, under which manufacturers must complete conformity assessment through either voluntary third-party certification or self-declaration, and upload the assessment results to the China RoHS Public Service Platform (website: chinarohs.miit.gov.cn) for public oversight. In addition, all electrical and electronic products, regardless of whether they are included in the Catalogue, must be properly labeled with information on hazardous substance content and use the correct markings as required by the Measures for the Administration of the Restricted Use of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Products.

Regarding the implementation timeline:

-   Products that were already in the 2018 Catalogue take effect immediately upon the issuance of the new announcement.

-   Newly added product categories and newly added scope of existing products are granted a transition period until August 1, 2027, aligning with the effective date of the mandatory national standard GB 26572-2025.

-   The newly revised Exemption List takes effect immediately upon issuance.

For more information on the Ecological and Environmental Code of China, please visit: https://www.bestao-consulting.com/index/news/detail/id/589.html?language=en