Asian paint regulatory round up – Indonesian exterior paint still uses lead, warns World Bank

A World Bank study released in October found that 58% of Indonesian households with visible interior paint still use lead-based products, posing significant health risks, particularly to children under five. The report estimates that 10.2 million young Indonesian children live in homes with lead-based paint, with 14% at heightened risk due to deteriorating paint conditions.

The report stated that 77% of popular paint brands sold in Indonesia exceed safe lead levels, contributing to long-term health issues such as reduced IQ, neurological disorders and cardiovascular problems.

However, the country’s Ministry of Industry denied the claims, asserting that Indonesia’s decorative paints comply with national standards, which limit lead content to below 90 parts per million (ppm) in accordance with World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations. (Source)

Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, through its Department of Chemicals, has released a draft amendment to the chemical law aimed at streamlining administrative procedures for manufacturers and handlers of chemical products, including paints and coatings. The amendment introduces special incentives and support for investment projects in the chemical sector, redesigns Vietnam’s chemical management system and supplements regulations on managing hazardous chemicals in products. Officials stated that these changes reflect the evolution of Vietnam’s legal framework since the Law on Chemicals was enacted in 2008. They also align with the country’s commitments in new-generation free trade agreements, such as the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement and international conventions like the UN Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC).

From 1 January 2025, paint and coating companies in Taiwan will be impacted by the island’s new carbon pricing system. Additional fees will be applied to the energy sector and manufacturing industries emitting over 25,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent annually, including key suppliers such as the petrochemical sector. Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment has approved the new carbon fee rates, with the Standard Carbon Fee Rate set at New Taiwan Dollar (TWD) 300 (approximately USD 9.34) per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gases. (Source)

The National Assembly of South Korea is currently debating a proposed Special Law on the Reduction and Management of Microplastics, which would require national and local governments, businesses and citizens to actively reduce and manage the generation and discharge of microplastics.

The law proposes banning the sale, manufacture, or import of products containing primary microplastics that exceed safety standards and may cause direct contact or exposure during use. This is expected to significantly impact the coatings sector, as studies estimate that paint contributes between 9% and 21% of the microplastics found in the world’s oceans and waterways. (Source)

The Philippine Paint and Coatings Association has announced a policy-making partnership with Glenn Banaguas, a scientific diplomat and laureate of the United Nations Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction. The association and Banaguas have agreed to develop a net-zero emissions roadmap, focusing on using eco-friendly, non-toxic materials to minimise environmental impact; adopting technologies to reduce carbon emissions and operational costs; encouraging material recycling to foster a sustainable production cycle; transitioning to less harmful water-based alternatives; and evaluating product impacts to guide more sustainable practices. An initial assessment of these initiatives will be conducted at Times Paint Corporation, a paint manufacturer based in Quezon.

Meanwhile, the Chinese government has approved a revised group standard for Indoor Wall and Wood Recoating Services and Acceptance Specification. The standard was drafted by a Chinese subsidiary of the Netherlands-based AkzoNobel Paints (Shanghai) Co, Langfang Nippon Paint Co, the Carpoly Chemical Group Co and other units. Its aim is to ensure the quality of indoor wall and wood recoating services in China while meeting the country’s environmental requirements. (Source)

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s Industrial Safety and Security Group has announced preliminary procedures for submitting certain electronic applications for market authorisations of chemical substances, including those used in paints and coatings. Under the system, which utilises Japan’s e-Gov application system, companies will be required to file applications during the fiscal year 2025 (April 2025 to March 2026). These filings will cover chemical substances used in small quantities, special applications for new chemical substances produced in low volumes and reporting on chemical intermediates. Before submitting electronic applications, companies must first request an applicant code by downloading a hard copy form and submitting it via registered mail. (Source 1, Source 2)

India’s Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, has extended the enforcement date for mandatory quality control standards (Quality Control Orders, or QCOs) for two polymers used in the production of paints and coatings. The new enforcement date is now set for 12 December 2024. The QCOs, covering polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) homopolymers, were initially published on 26 February 2024 and were originally scheduled to come into effect on 23 August 2024. (Source)

Furthermore, the department has also extended the implementation dates for Quality Control Orders (QCOs) relating to p-Xylene, used as a thinner in the paint industry and polyurethanes. The new enforcement date is now set for 19 March 2025. (Source)

The Malaysian government’s training agency, Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), has signed an agreement with Nippon Paint to strengthen technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Malaysia, with a particular focus on the growing automotive coatings industry. The partnership aims to equip 240 MARA students and 37 lecturers with specialised auto-refinishing skills, supported by Nippon Paint experts. As part of the agreement, up to 24 MARA training centres will be certified as Nippon Paint training centres, ensuring that their programmes meet industry standards and align with market demands. Malaysia’s automotive industry is a crucial pillar of the national economy, producing a record 799,731 vehicles in 2023. MARA provides training to ethnic Malays and other indigenous groups in Malaysia. (Source)

The Australian Government’s Department of Health and Aged Care has published a new chemical assessment of substances used in paints and coatings. The assessment covers chemicals such as cycloalkane, used as a solvent in paints and varnishes, and cyclohexane, used as a paint and varnish remover, among others. The government concluded that the environmental health risks associated with these chemicals are acceptable. Evaluations were also conducted as part of an Australian Industrial Chemical Introduction Scheme (AICIS) check for chemicals under market approval consideration. The information required includes chemical identity details, hazard information and a summary of the risks to human health and the environment. (Source)

Moreover. paint and coatings companies operating in Thailand are reviewing new guidelines released by the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the data required from companies seeking to register hazardous chemicals. The new guidance provides clear definitions for filing classifications, such as ‘technical grade raw materials’, ‘semi-finished raw materials’ and ‘finished products’. The Thai FDA has also updated its list of hazardous substances that require safety assessments. Additionally, the documentation requirements for hazardous substances intended for export have been reduced, with a focus on self-certification by Thai chemical companies. (Source)

Article written by Jens Kastner, Ahmad Pathoni, Kathryn Wortley, Mini Pant Zachariah & Poorna Rodrigo