LONDON—The United Kingdom government has issued guidelines for businesses that make or import chemicals, in case of a no-deal Brexit by March 29. From that date, chemicals would have to be registered to a new U.K. system, according to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The U.K. registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals (REACH) system would replace the European Union chemicals safety regime, DEFRA said Jan. 23. U.K. Reach, it explained, would require businesses to "demonstrate how a chemical can be safely used with minimal risk to human health or the environment."
U.K. businesses, it added, would have to validate existing registrations with the U.K. Health and Safety Executive within 60 days of the departure.
Additionally, businesses that import a chemical substance from the EU would have to set up a new registration with HSE within 180 days of U.K. leaving the EU.
U.K. businesses that export chemicals to the EU would need an EU REACH registration in place once the U.K. leaves the EU.
The chemicals sector is the U.K.'s second biggest manufacturing industry and U.K. businesses currently hold over 12,000 registrations under EU REACH.
A 'no deal' would mean that a range of other key sectors would also be required to register any imported chemicals they use on U.K. REACH. The DEFRA said this includes the motor manufacturing, cosmetics, construction and cleaning-products industries.