On May 28, 2026, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) published Announcement No. 11 of 2026, releasing the Catalogue of Restricted Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Products (2026 Edition) (hereinafter the Catalogue) and the accompanying List of Exceptions to the Application of Restricted Substances in the Catalogue (2026 Edition) (the Exception List). The announcement was issued jointly by eight government bodies, including the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the General Administration of Customs, and the State Administration for Market Regulation.
Both documents take effect immediately from the date of publication. The 2026 Catalogue simultaneously repeals the Compliance Management Catalog for Restricted Use of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Products (First Batch) and its Exception List, which had been in force since MIIT Announcement No. 15 of 2018.
The 2026 update represents the most significant revision to China’s hazardous substance restriction framework for electrical and electronic products (commonly referred to as China RoHS) in eight years. It expands both the list of restricted substances and the range of products subject to mandatory compliance management.
Expansion of Restricted Substances: Four Phthalates Now Added to China RoHS
The most consequential change from a global compliance perspective is the expansion of the restricted substance list from six to ten substances. The 2018 First Batch restricted the same six substances as the original EU RoHS Directive: lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), hexavalent chromium (Cr VI), polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE).
The 2026 Catalogue adds four phthalates, mirroring the substances added to EU RoHS 2 via Delegated Directive 2015/863 (effective from July 22, 2019):
- Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP)
- Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP)
- Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP)
- Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)
Products included in the 2026 Catalogue must meet the relevant standards for restriction of all ten substances and must be included in the conformity assessment system for the restriction of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic products. Products on the Exception List may be handled according to the corresponding requirements specified therein.
For manufacturers who have already aligned their China RoHS compliance with EU RoHS 2 (which added phthalates in 2019), the substance expansion should be manageable. However, manufacturers who completed China RoHS compliance under the 2018 First Batch rules against the original six substances will need to reassess their products for phthalate content across all ten substance categories.
Product Scope: 33 Categories Now Subject to Mandatory Compliance Management
The 2026 Catalogue covers 33 electrical and electronic product categories. These are divided into two implementation groups based on when their inclusion in the conformity assessment system takes effect.
Group 1: Effective Immediately from the Date of Publication (May 28, 2026)
The following product categories are subject to the new Catalogue immediately, with some sub-categories deferred to August 1, 2027 (noted in parentheses):
- Air conditioners (room and unitary, rated cooling capacity up to 14,000 W)
- Refrigerators (volume up to 800 liters)
- Washing machines (drying capacity up to 10 kg)
- Electric water heaters (capacity up to 500 liters)
- Television sets – excluding laser TVs (laser TVs: August 1, 2027)
- Monitoring equipment – excluding cameras collecting image/video/audio information (those cameras: August 1, 2027)
- Printers, copiers, fax machines and multifunction printers – excluding single-function scanners (those: August 1, 2027)
- Microcomputers (desktops, laptops, tablets, PDAs) – separately sold power adapters and accessories: August 1, 2027
- Mobile communication handheld devices (mobile phones) – separately sold power adapters and accessories: August 1, 2027
- Standalone telephones (PSTN phones and VoIP phones)
Group 2: Effective August 1, 2027
The following 23 categories enter the conformity assessment scope on August 1, 2027:
- Industrial washing machinery
- Air purifiers (household and similar)
- Water dispensers
- Dishwashers (freestanding and built-in)
- Electric ovens (portable and freestanding)
- Microwave ovens (including combination microwave ovens)
- Rice cookers (electric heating and electromagnetic induction types)
- Vacuum cleaners
- Robotic vacuum cleaners
- Household gas instantaneous water heaters (rated heat load up to 70 kW)
- Projectors
- Smart speakers (basic, AI, and screen-equipped variants)
- Electronic smart locks
- Servers (rack, tower, cabinet, and blade types)
- Network switching and routing equipment (access, aggregation, and core layer switches and routers)
- Smartwatches and smart bands (children’s and adult smartwatches, wristbands)
- Headphones (over-ear, in-ear, neckband, ear-hook, and clip-on)
- Portable power banks and outdoor portable power supplies
- Reading and writing desk lamps (eye-protection, study, and work lamps)
- Electric toys (for children under 14 years)
- Electronic blood pressure monitors (arm-type and wrist-type)
- Blood glucose meters (fingertip and continuous monitoring, including test strips)
- Hearing aids (BTE, ITE, body-worn; analog and digital)
An important clarification in the Catalogue: products listed are not subject to these requirements when used as components inside products that are not themselves listed. However, they are in scope when they have no clearly defined end use and are sold separately on the market – a provision particularly relevant to power banks, power adapters, and accessories.
Regulatory Framework: China RoHS and Conformity Assessment Requirements
China RoHS is governed by the Administrative Measures for the Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Products (MIIT Order No. 32 of 2016), which established a two-track system
- An information disclosure obligation for all in-scope products
- A mandatory conformity assessment obligation for products specifically listed in the Catalogue. The 2026 Catalogue update primarily affects the second track.
Products in the Catalogue must undergo conformity assessment and demonstrate compliance with the applicable Chinese national standards for hazardous substance content. The primary standards are GB/T 26572 (which specifies the maximum concentration values for the six original substances) and SJ/T 11363 (which covers marking requirements). With the addition of phthalates to the 2026 Catalogue, manufacturers should verify whether updated or additional testing standards have been issued by MIIT to cover the four new substances.
The Exception List (Appendix 2 of the announcement) provides relief for specific applications where technically or economically feasible alternatives to restricted substances do not yet exist. Manufacturers should review the 2026 Exception List in detail to assess whether any of their product applications qualify for exemption – and whether any exemptions from the 2018 Edition that they relied upon have been modified, removed, or carried forward.
For this article’s source information and any product certification guidance, please contact Global Validity.
Quick Country Facts
China
Certification Body: State Radio Regulatory Commission of PRC (SRRC)
Certification Type: Mandatory
License Validity: 60 Months
Application Language: Simplified Chinese
Legal License Holder: Manufacturer
In-Country Testing Requirement: In-Country Testing
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