2021-09-15 09:00 Article source: Department of E-commerce and Information Technology, Ministry of Commerce
Article Type: Reprint Content Category: News

Source of information: Department of E-commerce and Information Technology, Ministry of Commerce

On July 7, 2021, Environment Canada and the Ministry of Health approved the compound wood formaldehyde emission regulations. The regulations have been published in the second part of the Canadian Gazette and will come into effect on January 7, 2023. The following are the key points of the regulations:
1. Scope of control
This regulation applies to any composite wood products containing formaldehyde. Most composite wood products imported or sold in Canada must meet the corresponding requirements. However, the emission requirements for laminates will not come into effect until January 7, 2028. In addition, as long as there are records to prove, products manufactured or imported in Canada before the effective date are not subject to this regulation.
2. Formaldehyde emission limit
This regulation sets the maximum formaldehyde emission standard for composite wood products. These emission limits are expressed in terms of the concentration of formaldehyde obtained by specific test methods (ASTM D6007, ASTM E1333), which are the same as the emission limits of the US EPA TSCA Title VI regulations:
0.05 ppm for hardwood plywood.
· Particleboard is 0.09ppm.
·Medium density fiberboard is 0.11ppm.
·Thin medium density fiberboard is 0.13ppm and Laminates are 0.05ppm.
3. Labeling and certification requirements:
All composite wood products must be labeled before they are sold in Canada, or the seller must keep a copy of the label and provide it at any time. There are already bilingual labels (English and French) indicating that composite wood products that comply with TSCA Title VI regulations in the United States will be recognized as meeting Canadian labeling requirements. Composite wood and laminate products must also be certified by a third-party certification body (TPC) before being imported or sold (note: composite wood products that have obtained TSCA Title VI certification will be accepted by this regulation).
4. Record keeping requirements:
Manufacturers of composite wood panels and laminates will be required to keep a large number of test records and provide these records to them at the request of the Ministry of Environment. Importers and retailers will need to keep the certification statements for their products. For importers, there are some additional requirements. In addition, the regulation will also require all regulated companies to identify themselves by informing the Ministry of Environment of the regulated activities they participate in and their contact information.
5. Reporting requirements:
Those who manufacture, import, sell or sell composite wood products containing formaldehyde must provide the following written information to the Ministry of Environment:
(a) Name, address, telephone number, e-mail and the name of the relevant contact person;
(b) A statement as to whether the company manufactures, imports, sells or provides composite wood panels, laminated products, parts or finished products.
6. Customs reminder:
The customs reminds relevant product export production enterprises to pay attention to the industry's technical regulations and dynamics in time, strictly follow the standard requirements for production, strengthen product quality self-inspection, do product testing and related certification, and avoid obstacles to overseas customs clearance of exported goods.