UK REACH Candidate List checks for imported articles
Match the substance to the UK REACH Candidate List and establish its concentration in the relevant article or component. Above 0.1% by weight, provide safe-use information to business recipients and answer consumer requests within 45 days. Factory evidence can be coordinated by Cambridge China Bridge.
Define the article you are assessing
HSE defines an article by whether its shape, surface or design determines its function more than its chemical composition. Start with drawings, photographs and a component list. For products supplied with liquids or pastes, ask a competent adviser to confirm the assessment boundaries.
This guide covers the evidence and communication workflow for Great Britain. For registration and the separate notification question, read UK REACH for importers. Keep those assessments alongside your communication decision.
Match the substance, not the trade name
Use HSE's UK REACH Candidate List as your comparison source. Ask the factory for chemical names, substance identifiers where available, and the components in which each substance occurs. A material brand or a declaration saying only 'REACH compliant' does not explain what was assessed.
Record the list version or retrieval date and the supplier evidence used. If a name is ambiguous, ask the supplier or laboratory to explain the match to the listed entry, including any group description. Keep unresolved identities marked as unknown.
Establish the concentration on the right basis
The communication trigger is above 0.1% by weight. For a complex product, confirm with HSE whether the assessment should apply to its component articles rather than the assembled product. Ask the laboratory to identify the assessment unit and explain how a material test result relates to that unit.
Ask for the tested sample identity, substances covered, results, units, reporting limits and any uncertainty affecting the conclusion. 'Not detected' is useful only when the reporting limit supports the threshold comparison. Resolve gaps before recording a below-threshold conclusion; see checking whether a test report covers your order.
Prepare information for each customer route
Where the trigger is met, business recipients must receive sufficient information for safe use, including at least the substance name. Prepare a notice identifying the product, affected component, substance and relevant safe-use instructions. Arrange for it to accompany the supply.
Consumers must receive equivalent information on request within 45 days of receipt. Confirm with HSE whether this must be provided free of charge. Give customer service an approved response and a request log showing receipt, product identification, response deadline and dispatch. Escalate missing evidence promptly.
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Keep the decision tied to production
Maintain a decision record linking each product and component to substance identity, concentration evidence, the conclusion and the customer notice. Distinguish supported below-threshold conclusions, above-threshold findings and unresolved evidence. Assign an owner to close each unresolved item.
Recheck the assessment when materials, suppliers or the Candidate List change. Put chemical evidence into your factory material substitution approval process. Cambridge China Bridge's own staff in China can coordinate supplier questions, sample identification and document collection for the buyer's assessment.
Frequently asked questions
Is a factory REACH declaration enough?
Ask what substances, components and list version it covers, and what supports the concentration conclusion. An unexplained declaration leaves gaps in your assessment.
Can I average the concentration across the whole product?
For a complex product, confirm with HSE whether the threshold applies to its component articles. Ask the laboratory to explain the assessment unit and the basis of its concentration result.
What must I tell a business customer?
Where a Candidate List substance exceeds 0.1% by weight, provide sufficient information for safe use, including at least the substance name.
How long do I have to answer a consumer?
For an article triggering the duty, provide equivalent safe-use information within 45 days of receiving the request. Confirm with HSE whether this must be provided free of charge. Log receipt and dispatch.