In 2025, there are new regulations and policies regarding activated carbon exports in terms of domestic licensing management, access standards in Europe and the United States, and international transportation. The following is a targeted summary:
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New domestic export licensing regulations: Starting from November 2025, the United States has been added to the list of specific countries for the export of precursor chemicals. Exporting activated carbon to the United States requires applying for relevant export licenses in accordance with regulations. Meanwhile, according to the 2025 Export License Management Catalog, if activated carbon involves categories related to dual-use items, exporting to some countries requires applying for the corresponding license. Among them, for categories applicable to the "one batch, one license" system, the license can only be used for customs declaration once within its validity period.
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New access regulations in the EU region: The heavy metal leaching amount of activated carbon must comply with the "Drinking Water Quality Directive", such as lead < 0.01mg/L, arsenic < 0.001mg/L, and it must pass CE certification; the energy consumption of the dosing system must meet the requirements of the ERP Directive. In addition, the new international transportation regulations classify activated carbon nanomaterials (particle size ≤ 100nm) into the category of self-heating substances. For air transportation, a 72-hour temperature rise suppression certificate must be provided, and the packaging must be marked with "Self-heating risk - Keep dry".
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New access regulations in the United States: Activated carbon must pass NSF/ANSI 61 certification to ensure human health. During dosing, dust emissions must meet the EPA's "National Ambient Air Quality Standards" with a concentration < 5mg/m³. At the same time, if air transportation is chosen for export, it must comply with the requirements of IATA - DGR Version 65, along with relevant temperature rise suppression certificates and compliant packaging labels; sea transportation must comply with the GB 19432 - 2025 standard, and the temperature rise threshold for self-heating substances has been tightened from 20℃ to 15℃.
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New supporting regulations related to domestic transportation: The mandatory Chinese standard GB/T 35261 - 2025 implemented in 2025 requires that the oxidation exothermic peak of activated carbon be ≤ 2J/g. For export transportation, a CMA/CNAS report containing the UN transportation classification conclusion must be provided. The packaging must use breathable flame-retardant film with silica gel desiccant to control humidity ≤ 30% RH. It must also be marked with warning labels such as "Keep away from heat sources" and a 24-hour emergency phone number.
