On May 28, 2026, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), together with seven other government bodies including the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), and the General Administration of Customs, officially released the revised Compliance Management Catalogue for the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in Electrical and Electronic Products (2026 Edition) and the accompanying Exceptions List for Restricted Substance Applications in the Catalogue (2026 Edition).
The release marks a major expansion of China’s RoHS framework, increasing the number of regulated product categories from 12 to 33. Specifically, the 2026 Catalogue integrates the original 12 product types—which included televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, printers, and mobile phones—into an optimized structure of 10 categories while introducing 23 new product groups.
These additions cover a diverse array of products that are increasingly common in daily life and work environments. Microwave ovens, rice cookers, water dispensers, projection equipment, and portable power banks are now covered, alongside emerging information and communication technology devices such as smart watches and bands, headphones, smart speakers, robotic vacuum cleaners, electronic smart locks, servers, and network switching and routing equipment. The scope also extends to products where consumers are particularly concerned about safety and health attributes, including electric toys, desk lamps, electronic blood pressure monitors, blood glucose meters, and hearing aids.
Products falling within the Catalogue must ensure that 10 restricted substances comply with the limit values set in the mandatory national standard GB 26572-2025 Requirements for restricted use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic products (See more details from our previous news coverage). These substances include lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, PBBs, PBDEs, and four phthalates (DEHP, BBP, DBP, and DIBP). Cadmium is subject to a stricter limit of 0.01 percent by weight, while the other nine are capped at 0.1 percent. Beyond meeting these substance limits, covered products must also undergo conformity assessment through either state-recommended voluntary certification or self-declaration, with the assessment results uploaded to the official public service platform at chinarohs.miit.gov.cn for supervisory and public oversight.
Moreover, the 2026 Exceptions List has been revised to align with international exemption practices, including those of the European Union, while also reflecting technological progress and treaty obligations. Under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, six exemptions have been removed and one updated. The list also refines 10 existing exemptions and adds six new ones, including for phthalates in components recovered from electronic medical devices used for repair or refurbishment.
Regarding the implementation timeline, the revised Catalogue and Exceptions List take effect immediately upon publication for the original 12 product categories. For the 23 newly added categories and expanded product scope, however, a transition period applies, and these new entrants will be subject to mandatory enforcement starting August 1, 2027, aligning with the effective date of GB 26572-2025.
In response to this regulatory upgrade, European companies should promptly form or engage dedicated teams to conduct product-by-product verification against the 2026 Catalogue, determining whether their items fall under the immediately effective original categories or the transitional new ones. Concurrently, the revised Exceptions List, now more aligned with international exemption practices, warrants careful review to confirm applicable exemptions and their validity periods.
Source: https://wap.miit.gov.cn/zwgk/zcwj/wjfb/gg/art/2026/art_1abc7a6cb7d64e4e976cd454aa1df81e.html
https://wap.miit.gov.cn/zwgk/zcjd/art/2026/art_5e3da83febf5461ca1b063165c660dea.html
