On 28 May 2026 the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and four other departments, formally published the Catalogue of Electrical and Electronic Products Subject to Restricted Use of Hazardous Substances (2026 Edition) and the accompanying List of Exemptions from Restricted Substance Application (2026 Edition). This marks a new stage for China RoHS, with substantially broader scope and deeper alignment with international practice.

Compared with the first catalogue issued in 2018, the previous catalogue and exemption list were repealed on the date the new rules were published.

Much broader scope

The new rules optimise and consolidate the 12 previously regulated product categories and expand them to 33. The original products, such as refrigerators and televisions, are consolidated into 10 categories, and 23 new categories of high-frequency everyday products and emerging products have been added.

Key new product categories:

Smart and emerging products: smart wristbands and watches, headphones, smart speakers, robot vacuum cleaners, electronic smart locks, servers and network switching equipment.

Everyday household appliances: microwave ovens, rice cookers, water dispensers, projectors, portable power banks.

Health-related and children's products: electronic blood pressure monitors, blood glucose meters, hearing aids, electric toys, desk lamps for reading and homework.

Additional restricted substances

Under the new rules, products in the catalogue must control not only lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers, but also four phthalates:

· Dibutyl phthalate (DBP);

· Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP);

· Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP);

· Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP).

The content of these ten hazardous substances must meet the limits in the mandatory national standard GB 26572-2025, Requirements for Restricted Use of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Products.

Dynamic adjustment of the exemption list

The new exemption list has been systematically updated and now comprises 56 exemptions in six major groups.

Treaty alignment: in line with the Minamata Convention on Mercury and other international conventions, six exemption clauses inconsistent with the conventions were deleted and one was updated.

New exemptions: drawing on EU RoHS experience and the actual process needs of the newly added products, some exemptions were refined and added, for example a specific exemption for spare parts used in the repair of medical devices.

Implementation dates and what companies should do

1. Immediate application, from 28 May 2026:

Products already covered by the 2018 catalogue, such as refrigerators, air conditioners, televisions and mobile phones, must comply immediately. Note that the four phthalates had already been included in the testing standards from 1 January 2026, and are now formally adopted as a mandatory enforcement basis.

The new exemption list takes effect immediately.

2. Application from 1 August 2027:

The 23 newly added product categories are given a transition period of about 14 months, aligned with the entry into force of mandatory national standard GB 26572-2025.

Under the new rules, companies should review their products against the 33-category list as soon as possible and investigate and test their supply chains for the ten hazardous substances, particularly the four newly added phthalates. They also need to complete the conversion of conformity assessment and update product marking information within the transition period so that products can be placed on the market compliantly.