Labeling
Under the Convention, Parties shall also require that both chemicals listed in Annex III and chemicals banned or severely restricted are, when exported, subject to labelling requirements that ensure adequate availability of information with regard to risks and/or hazards to human health or the environment, taking into account relevant international standards. Information reflected on the label and on the safety data sheet accompanying the shipment should be in one or more of the official languages of the importing Party (Article 13)
Banned or severely restricted chemicals
The Rotterdam Convention also makes provision for chemicals that are banned or whose use is severely restricted by a Party and that are exported from its territory by that Party. For these chemicals, an export notification has to accompany the shipment to a trading Party and the export notification must contain the specific information set out in Annex V to the Convention.
When trade involves PIC chemicals (Annex III)
PIC chemicals (Annex III)
DNAs and customs officials should develop a standard procedure for implementation of the Convention and to benefit fully from its provisions, taking into account the following elements:
- ensure that a current list of chemicals in Annex III (PIC chemicals) is available;
- integrate the specific HS codes for chemicals in Annex III into the domestic customs system;
- ensure that import of PIC chemicals complies with national import decisions;
- ensure that the list of import decisions is the most up-to-date;
- ensure that exports of PIC chemicals comply with import decisions from all other Parties;
- ensure that the list of import decisions is updated.
Banned or severely restricted chemical
DNAs and customs offices should ensure that the list of chemicals banned or severely restricted domestically that are subject to export notification is updated. They should define a procedure to check whether an export notification has been sent for the first export to a Party in the calendar year.
Labelling requirements
DNAs and customs offices should ensure that, for chemicals in Annex III and those that are banned or severely restricted domestically, labelling provisions of the Convention are met and the necessary information is provided to accompany exports, including HS custom codes and safety data sheets in the official language(s) of the Party.