The Act for Resource Recycling of Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Vehicles (commonly known as Korea RoHS) will likely be amended to align more closely with the European Union (EU) version of the directive.
The South Korean Ministry of the Environment sent a notification about the amendments in early August, approximately six months before the regulation’s January 1, 2021, implementation date. Additions were initially recommended in 2018, but stalled due to disagreements before moving forward this year.
Korea RoHS restricts the same substances and sets the same concentration limits as the EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive, and was originally written to apply to electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), including home appliances, cellular phones, computers, audio devices, etc., as well as vehicles that include component parts.
The amendments will see Korea RoHS also includes the four phthalates in scope of the EU RoHS Directive:
- Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP).
- Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP).
- Dibutyl phthalate (DBP).
- Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP).
While there would be exclusions for military equipment, large fixed industrial equipment, large fixed facilities, and medical equipment, there would also be 23 new EEE products added to the existing EEE list. These additions include dehumidifiers, toasters, and hair dryers. Passenger carts, vans, and trucks less than 3.5 metric tons are already in scope.
Companies that import or sell in-scope products in South Korea need to be aware of the restrictions and ensure they have the correct data for compliance by the start of the new year.
Assent supports companies with global compliance regulations, including Korea RoHS. To learn more about Assent’s solutions for EU or Korea RoHS, contact our experts.
