Analysis of New Regulations on Import Exemptions for Five Types of Chemical Substances in the Philippines

The Philippine Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) has recently released an important draft, Exemption Guidelines for Impurities, Chemical By - products, Unseparated Intermediates, Alloys, and Statutory Mixtures under Philippine Administrative Order DAO 1992 - 29. This new draft aims to reduce the compliance costs of enterprises when importing or producing specific chemical substances, which is of great significance to the business community. Below, we will provide a detailed interpretation of the main content of this draft and its impact on enterprises.

Impurities
Defined as components that are not intentionally added to the product, do not contribute to the products function, and have a content of less than 5%. This means that products containing trace amounts of impurities may not require PMPIN declaration.

Chemical By - products
Refers to products that are unintentionally generated during the manufacturing, processing, use, or disposal of other chemicals. This includes chemicals that are accidentally produced during the production process.

Unseparated Intermediates
Refers to intermediates that do not leave the container or device in which they are synthesized, are usually used in the production process, but are not the final product.

Alloys
Include mixtures composed of two or more metal or metalloid elements, such as brass, stainless steel, etc., and are difficult to separate by mechanical means.

Statutory Mixtures
Include specific metals, inorganic salts, ceramics, cement, etc., and the specific regulations are yet to be further discussed by the industry.

Application Platform
Enterprises that meet the exemption conditions can submit an exemption application through the OPMS platform (Online Permitting and Monitoring System).

Required Materials
The submitted materials include a signed application letter, product composition information, Safety Data Sheet (SDS), process flow diagram, handling fee of Php 1,500, and an explanation of the exemption reasons and supporting documents.

Approval Time
The EMB will complete the approval within 15 working days after receiving the application.

Supplementary Material Requirements
If supplementary materials are required, the applicant needs to complete the supplementation through the OPMS platform within 30 days after receiving the notice. It should be noted that if the supplementation is not completed within 60 days and there is no communication with the EMB, the application will be revoked.

The release of the draft Exemption Guidelines for Impurities, Chemical By - products, Unseparated Intermediates, Alloys, and Statutory Mixtures under Philippine Administrative Order DAO 1992 - 29 provides clear exemption guidance for enterprises, which helps to simplify the compliance procedures in the import and production processes. Enterprises can use these new regulations to reduce compliance costs while ensuring that their products meet the environmental protection and safety standards of the Philippines.