New Chemicals Added to Domestic Substances List

Summary#

The government published Order 2023-87-07-01 Amending the Domestic Substances List, which adds several chemical substances to Canada’s Domestic Substances List. The order was registered on June 22, 2023 and published in the Canada Gazette on July 5, 2023.

What it does#

• Adds multiple substances (identified in the Order by CAS numbers and chemical names) to Parts 1 and 3 of the Domestic Substances List.
• Notes that the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Health were satisfied these substances were manufactured in or imported into Canada above the quantity threshold set in the New Substances Notification Regulations (Chemicals and Polymers).
• Takes effect on the day it was registered (June 22, 2023).

Who's affected#

• Businesses that manufacture or import the specific chemicals named in the Order.
• Chemical suppliers, distributors, and possibly downstream manufacturers that use those chemicals in products.
• Regulators and environmental health officials who track or assess existing substances.
• The general public only to the extent these chemicals appear in products they buy or environments they live in.

If you handle or sell chemicals, check the Order itself (it lists CAS numbers and names) to see whether any of the added substances apply to your operations.

Why it matters#

• Being added to the Domestic Substances List means the government now treats these chemicals as existing in Canada, based on reported manufacture or import above the notification threshold.
• That status affects how the substances are tracked and what notification or assessment rules apply going forward.
• For companies, this can change compliance and reporting obligations; for communities, it changes which substances regulators are accounting for when assessing potential risks.