On October 30, 2020, the Ministry of Environment announced nitrous oxide (commonly known as laughing gas) as a regulated chemical substance in accordance with Article 24 of the "Toxic and Concerned Chemical Substances Control Act" (hereinafter referred to as the Act). Pursuant to Paragraph 1 of Article 25 of the same Act, the handling of such regulated chemical substances requires approval from the respective municipal/county/city competent authority. Handlers are obligated to manage these substances in accordance with the stipulations outlined in the approval documents. Furthermore, on October 4, 2022, the Ministry of Environment issued a subsequent announcement regarding the "Restrictions on the Importation of Asbestos-containing Products" as dictated by Article 21 of the "Waste Disposal Act." Additionally, it was stipulated that the importation of asbestos products would be prohibited from May 1, 2023 onward. However, upon approval of the Chemicals Administration, asbestos products may be imported for military, research, experimentation, and educational purposes, or under the situation where obtaining a feasible asbestos-free alternative is impossible.

According to the Act, business entities are required to possess approval documents before handling and importing such substances. This requirement aims to prevent situations where business entities neglect to apply for import using the accurate name "nitrous oxide" or "laughing gas" (or other names for the gas). Such omissions could lead to the Administration being unaware of how these substances are utilized post-import. In 2021, the Administration collaborated with the Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance, to conduct border customs declaration and inspection. The aim was to ensure the accuracy of declarations by business entities and to regulate the flow and source of laughing gas, thus preventing the unlawful importation of this substance into the domestic market.

Furthermore, to prevent business entities from importing asbestos-containing products without properly declaring them using the product classification code of asbestos, the Chemicals Administration collaborated with the Customs Administration to carry out border customs inspections by conducting an initial screening using specialized instruments. If the rapid screening test result is positive, the business entity will be asked to submit the Ministry of Environment's approval document for importing asbestos-containing products. If the business entity is unable to obtain the approval document, it will be requested to arrange for the return of the shipment. This approach ensures source control of asbestos-containing products, ultimately achieving a comprehensive ban on asbestos.