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RoHS Directives

According to EU RoHS legislation, the following substances are restricted in products covered by the legislation (the maximum permitted percentage by weight is given in brackets):

  • Lead (0.1%)

  • Mercury (0.1%)

  • Cadmium (0.01%)

  • Hexavalent chromium (0.1%)

  • Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) (0.1%)

  • Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) (0.1%)

  • Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) (0.1%)

  • Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) (0.1%)

  • Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) (0.1%)

  • Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) (0.1%)


This means that the substances listed above must not be present above the specified concentration limits in homogeneous materials used in the relevant products.

Where there is a justified concern regarding adverse impacts on industrial interests, industry stakeholders may apply for a legal exemption for specific industrial applications, provided that certain conditions are met. Such an exemption may be granted for a maximum of five years, and an extension may be requested no later than 18 months before the exemption expires. Such exemptions apply, among others, to lead, which may continue to be used as an alloying element in copper and steel to a certain extent, in quantities exceeding 0.1%.

China's RoHS legislation is very similar to the EU RoHS framework, but there are some significant differences. For example, DEHP, BBP, DBP and DIBP (i.e. phthalates) are not yet subject to the restriction. The restriction of these substances will only come into effect from 1 August 2027, and the legal exemptions available under EU RoHS are also not possible in China. On the other hand, compliance is in some respects easier, as China RoHS does not impose a ban, but rather introduces different labelling and information disclosure requirements.

EU, China, or other countries' RoHS legislation? If you distribute electrical and electronic equipment, please feel free to contact us and request a quotation.

The growing importance of electrical and electronic equipment on the market has also led to increasingly stringent regulations, which is why RoHS (Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment) regulations have been introduced in many parts of the world. Without claiming to provide an exhaustive list, the European Union, China, Brazil, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates have all introduced restrictions on the use of certain chemicals in electrical and electronic equipment.

Two of the world's three largest economies, the EU and China, therefore have RoHS legislation covering their respective regions. Let us first examine the EU RoHS legislation, which applies to practically all small, portable, and non-special-purpose electrical and electronic equipment (e.g. equipment designed for space launches, R&D, etc.).