Seven Countries in the Arabian Gulf Plan to Launch Their Own "RoHS" Requirements

The Gulf Cooperation Council for the Arab States is the most important political economic organization in the Gulf region, referred to as the Gulf Cooperation Council or the GCC. The GCC was established in May 1981 and is headquartered in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Member states include the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.

It is reported that on March 28, 2018, the seven Arab countries notified the WTO of draft technical regulations to restrict the use of certain hazardous substances in electronic and electrical equipment (similar to the RoHS directive). This regulation is valid for products placed on the market in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The draft regulation contains 45 pages and contains a list of banned substances in the material. Except that the cadmium content allows the maximum concentration (by weight) to be 0.01%, the maximum concentration allowed by the following substances is 0.1%. The specific restrictions are as follows:

(1) Lead (0.1%);

(2) Mercury (0.1%);

(3) Cadmium (0.01%);

(4) Hexavalent chromium (0.1%);

(5) Polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) (0.1%);

(6) PBDE (0.1%);

(7) Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) (0.1%);

(8) Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) (0.1%);

(9) Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) (0.1%);

(10) Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) (0.1%).

From July 22, 2021, DEHP, BBP, DBP, and DIBP restrictions will apply to surveillance equipment and medical equipment, including in vitro monitoring and control instruments. At the same time, the limits of DEHP, BBP, DBP, and DIBP are not applicable to spare parts for maintenance, reuse, function updates, or performance upgrades that were put on the market before July 22, 2019, and will be available before July 22, 2021. Market medical equipment.

The specific products included in this proposed bill are:

1. Large household appliances;

2. Small household appliances;

3. Information and communication equipment;

4. Consumer products;

5. Lighting equipment;

6. Electrical and electronic tools;

7. Toy leisure and sports equipment;

8. Medical equipment (except implanted or infected products);

9. Monitoring and control equipment;

10. Automatic vending machine;

11. Other electrical and electronic equipment.

Note: This regulation will take effect 180 days after the publication of official gazettes in various countries, but the specific date for the passage of bills has not yet been set.