Exporting Chemicals: A Safety Data Sheet and Labelling Checklist
A practical checklist for exporting chemicals: check destination SDS and label rules, translate the SDS, complete transport information, match the labels and confirm registration obligations.
The GHS 16-section format is international, but each destination adds its own legal requirements. A document that is fine in one market can be refused in another. Use this checklist before every new export market.
1. Identify the destination rules
Find out which regulation applies where the product will be sold. Examples include OSHA HazCom in the United States, CLP and REACH in the EU, GB CLP in Great Britain, WHMIS in Canada and the Work Health and Safety rules in Australia. Some markets are on different GHS revisions, so classifications can differ.
2. Classify to the destination criteria
Classify the product under the revision and national variations the destination uses. Where there is a harmonised classification, use it.
3. Provide the SDS in the required language
Many countries require the local language, and some require more than one. Use an accurate translation of the whole document, including hazard statements, which have standard wording in each language.
4. Complete transport information
Section 14 must match how you ship: the UN number, proper shipping name, hazard class, packing group and any environmental hazard marking for road, rail, sea and air. Transport classification follows the transport regulations (ADR, IMDG, IATA) rather than GHS, and they can classify a product differently.
5. Match labels and packaging to the SDS
Labels should carry the same classification as the SDS, in the destination language, with the destination's required elements. Check minimum label sizes and rules for small packages.
6. Check registration and inventory requirements
Many markets require substances to be registered or listed before import, for example REACH in the EU, TSCA in the United States, and national inventories elsewhere. This is separate from the SDS but a common cause of delays at customs.
7. Provide a local emergency contact
Section 1 needs an emergency phone number. Some markets expect a number reachable in the local language and time zone.
8. Keep records
Keep each version of the SDS and the shipping documents that went with it, so you can show what you provided and when.
For a deeper look at the EU, see EU CLP and REACH SDS requirements, and for the US OSHA HazCom requirements.
Frequently asked questions
- Does one SDS work for every country?
Rarely. The format is shared, but the classification criteria, language, transport details and regulatory information vary by market, so exporters usually need a version for each.
- Does an SDS need to be translated?
Many countries require it in the local language. The EU requires the official language of each Member State where the product is placed on the market.
- Does the transport classification come from GHS?
No. Transport classification follows the UN Model Regulations and the ADR, IMDG and IATA rules. It uses different criteria from GHS and can differ.
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