Chemical Labels Often Incorrect, Especially for Hazardous Goods

Cross-border trade in chemicals poses significant challenges for companies. This conclusion is drawn by DEKRA experts from the latest monitoring project of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). According to their findings, two-thirds of imported chemicals were not correctly labeled.

(Stuttgart) Customs and market surveillance authorities from 16 countries jointly monitored compliance with chemical regulations for mixtures and products. A key result of the operation: Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of imported chemicals had inadequate labels. Among other things, 167 products were checked for compliance with classification, labeling, and packaging regulations according to the CLP Regulation (EU Regulation No. 1272/2008).

Hazardous Goods Incorrectly Labeled

In the vast majority of cases, the labeling was incorrect, for example, because it was not in the national language. Furthermore, the hazard data often lacked so-called H-statements or were incorrectly stated. Pictograms were also frequently missing or incorrectly represented. About 20 percent of the deficiencies concerned an incorrect classification of the mixture. For DEKRA experts, this indicates that cross-border trade in chemicals can sometimes overwhelm the parties involved: the exporter is less familiar with the chemical regulations of the destination country, while the importer often has less expertise than a formulator. Additionally, the results show that authorities place significant importance on having the label written in the national language. DEKRA has been supporting companies in complying with chemical regulations for over 30 years. DEKRA prepares classifications, safety data sheets, and labels for chemicals. Furthermore, DEKRA also advises on the marketability of products manufactured outside the EU. Photo: © Adobe Stockwww.dekra.de/de/chemikalienhandel/