Chemicals & Raw Materials Sourcing Guide

Industrial chemicals in drums or IBC totes: typically 200–1,000 kg minimum. Bulk liquid chemicals (ISO tank or flexi-bag): 20,000–25,000 litres (one ISO tank) minimum. Specialty chemicals and fine chemicals: often 25–500 kg minimum. Natural extracts and cosmetic raw materials: 1–25 kg for samples, 25–100 kg minimum for commercial orders. Lab reagents and research chemicals: smaller quantities available but at high per-unit cost.

EU REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals): any substance imported into the EU in quantities above 1 tonne per year must be registered with ECHA. As an EU importer, you are the registrant or must work through an "Only Representative" (OR) appointed by the non-EU manufacturer. Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) above 0.1% in articles trigger notification obligations. UK REACH (administered by HSE) has similar requirements post-Brexit. All chemical products require Safety Data Sheets (SDS) in the destination language per GHS/CLP regulation.

Chemicals are classified under IMDG (sea), IATA DGR (air) or ADR (road) dangerous goods regulations depending on hazard class. Class 3 (flammable liquids), Class 6 (toxic), Class 8 (corrosives) and Class 9 (miscellaneous DG) are common in chemical trade. Each requires specific UN-rated packaging, DG declarations, and emergency contact information. Non-hazardous chemicals ship as standard freight. Your freight forwarder must be DG-trained and experienced in chemical shipping.

Always request the current SDS (Safety Data Sheet) compliant with CLP/GHS regulation before ordering — do not accept older versions that may not reflect the latest hazard classification. For REACH-restricted substances, verify pre-registration or full REACH registration documentation from your supplier. For SVHC-containing articles, request SVHC declarations. Never import substances on the REACH Authorisation List without an authorisation granted by ECHA.