The Ministry of Environment announced the "Restrictions on the Import of Detergents Containing Nonylphenol and Nonylphenol Polyethylene Glycol Ether" (hereinafter referred to as "the Announcement") on June 4, 2025 due to considerations of the environmental fate of detergents containing nonylphenol (NP) and nonylphenol polyethylene glycol ether (NPEO), which pose risks to the environment and people's health. The Announcement is effective immediately and will be implemented in two phases.

NP and NPEO are endocrine disrupting chemicals that act as natural hormones in the human body, thereby affecting human physiological health and the normal development of young children. The Ministry of Environment announced NP and NPEO as controlled toxic chemical substances in 2007 and banned their use in the manufacture of household detergents since 2008. The Ministry of Environment Chemicals Administration announced a revision to the "Guidelines on Regulated Toxic Chemical Substances and the Management of Their Handling" on May 13, 2025, fully prohibiting the use of NP and NPEO in the manufacture of detergents, in order to become aligned with international control regulations. The Ministry of Environment Resource Circulation Administration will implement import restrictions in two phases with the authorization provided in Article 21 of the Waste Disposal Act. Starting from December 1, 2026, the first phase will target detergents containing NP or NPEO at a concentration of more than 5% by weight. Starting from June 1, 2027, the second stage will target detergents containing NP or NPEO at a concentration of more than 0.1% by weight.

The Ministry of Environment reminds that a buffer period of 18 to 24 months will be provided to companies to allow sufficient time to respond, and encourages operators to find alternative substances to reduce the impact on the domestic environment and public health. Please refer to the attached file for more information on the revision, or download it from the Executive Yuan Gazette Online (http://gazette.nat.gov.tw/egFront/) 3 days after the date of announcement.