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Chemical importers to get regulatory reprieve as Climate Ministry moves to stabilize supply

Published: 10 Apr. 2026, 18:19

An employee organizes products at a paint retail store in Seoul on March 25. [NEWS1]

Chemical importers will be allowed to replace a hazard assessment with a testing plan in a bid to stabilize supplies rocked by the Iran war, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced Friday.

The measure is aimed at helping domestic companies diversify their supply sources by simplifying import procedures, as supply instability for naphtha — used to produce paint and plastics — and its derivatives, such as ethylene, has intensified since the outbreak of the Iran war.

Normally, companies that import chemicals are subject to a process that can take over three months, including verifying the composition and content of shipments. However, as domestic firms seek to diversify supply sources amid the Iran war, the government will allow some of these procedures to be completed after imports have already arrived.

The special provision will apply to chemicals requested by the industry minister in consultation with the climate minister.

The Climate Ministry cited paint as one of the products expected to see improved supply conditions under the measure. Noroo Paint and Samhwa Paints have already raised product prices by 20 percent to 55 percent since March 23.

“The paint industry has been trying to secure new supply chains for raw materials due to disruptions in naphtha supply, but the need to complete chemical registration has limited the ability to quickly secure the necessary amounts,” said a Climate Ministry official.

“Under the special provision, companies can apply for chemical registration before importing and replace hazard test data with a testing plan, shortening procedures that previously took more than three months to just a few days.”

While implementing the measure normally requires a revision to rules laid out in the Act on Registration and Evaluation of Chemical Substances, the Climate Ministry said it will apply the provision early from Friday via a proactive administration review.

The process involves opinions from external experts to allow for more flexible implementation of regulatory improvements. A formal bill to apply the special provision measure through the end of 2027 is expected to be completed by the end of the month.

“This measure is intended to swiftly address difficulties in securing raw materials under emergency economic conditions,” said Cho Hyun-soo, director general of the environmental health bureau at the Climate Ministry, adding that it is “expected to help companies quickly establish alternative supply chains.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HEO JEONG-WON [[email protected]]