Top enquiries

I don’t know how to categorise my chemical – can you help me?

We cannot categorise your chemical introductions or confirm you’ve correctly worked out your introduction category. Our in-depth guide to categorising your chemical importation and manufacture is designed to walk you through each step of the process. It includes questionnaires and links to decision tools to help you along the way.  

Note: you don't need to use this guide or categorise your chemical introduction if it's only for personal or hobby use, or it’s a type that doesn't need to be categorised under our laws. 

Do I need to register?

If you manufacture or import industrial chemicals into Australia – or products that contain industrial chemicals – you’ll most likely need to register with AICIS. This means you’ll need to meet certain obligations and potentially pay fees and charges. However, there are some circumstances where you may not need to register.

For details, see:

• Basics of importing and manufacturing chemicals
• Introductions that don't require categorisation or registration
• Decision tool – Do I need to register with AICIS?
• Decision tool - Do I need to register as a soap introducer?

How much do I pay?

The cost of your registration depends on the value of industrial chemicals that you imported or manufactured in the previous financial year (1 July - 30 June). It is not based on your sales or profit figures.

There are 8 levels of registration charges. ‘Level 1’ is the lowest level and applies to chemical introductions valued at between $0 to $49,999.

If you're registering with us for the first time and didn't import or manufacture any industrial chemicals last financial year, you are 'Level 1'.

For details, see:

• How much is my registration fee?

How do I register my products or chemicals?

You register your business with us – not your products or chemicals. 

• We publish a list of registered businesses

I forgot my AICIS Business Services username or password

If you have forgotten your username, contact the AICIS Helpdesk on 1800 638 528 (option 1) or use our contact us form and select 'AICIS Business Services'.

If you have forgotten your password – or it has expired – go to AICIS Business Services and click either ‘Forgotten your password?’ or 'Reset password' on the sign-in page. Remember, passwords expire every 3 months as required by the Department of Health and Aged Care's IT security policy. You can change your password at any time – even if your password has not yet expired.

For detailed instructions, see:

• Forgot my username and password

My products are natural – should I register?

Many chemical ingredients derived from natural sources are labelled ‘natural’, ‘organic’, ‘herbal’ or ‘pure’. But most processes used to obtain plant extracts and aroma compounds create ingredients that no longer meet the AICIS definition of naturally occurring because their chemical composition has been changed. These ingredients are industrial chemicals, so you must be registered to import products that contain them.

This applies even if some or all of the ingredients claim to be natural or organic because most products (such as cosmetics) contain other ingredients that are classed as industrial chemicals.

For details, see:

• Personal care, skincare, make-up and other cosmetic products
• Organic and natural ingredients

What is the Inventory?

The Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals (the Inventory) is an online database of chemicals available for industrial use in Australia. It contains CAS names, CAS numbers or AICIS-approved chemical names, as well as any regulatory obligations or conditions related to manufacturing and importing industrial chemicals in Australia.

Importantly, the Inventory isn't a database of 'safe' chemicals – so you won’t see safety information or product names on an Inventory listing.

For details, see:

• What is the Inventory and who must use it?

I can’t get the CAS number because it is proprietary

If you need to search the Inventory but don't know your chemical's identity, ask your chemical identity holder (for example, your supplier or manufacturer) to search the Inventory for you. If they find the chemical on the Inventory, you should ask them to tell you if there are any terms or conditions described on the Inventory listing for your chemical.

You’ll also need to keep certain records from that person which confirm that they will provide the CAS name, IUPAC name or INCI name, and CAS number (if assigned), for your chemical within 40 working days, if requested, for example in the event of an audit. For details about the records to keep, see Record-keeping obligations for Inventory-listed chemicals.

I can’t find my chemical on the Inventory or I get too many results

The reason is one of the following:

• You're searching a trade name, INCI name or product name - we recommend that you search using the chemical's CAS number.
• You have entered an outdated CAS number. Sometimes CAS replaces a chemical’s CAS number with a new one, so you need to make sure that you’re using the updated CAS number.
• You entered an incorrect CAS number, or it doesn’t match the CAS number format. For example, you may have added a space between the numbers or hyphens.
• It doesn’t need to be listed because it meets our definition of a naturally occurring chemical.
• It’s a mixture (such as an alloy or hydrate) – the Inventory only contains names of chemicals, not mixtures.
• It's listed on the Inventory, but the CAS name and CAS number are protected as confidential business information (CBI). You can ask us to check if your chemical is confidentially listed on the Inventory.
• The chemical is not on the Inventory because it is currently not available for industrial use in Australia unless it is authorised under one of the available introduction categories – go to Step 1 of the Categorisation Guide to work out which category applies to your introduction. 

Can you test my product for safety before it goes on sale?

AICIS doesn’t conduct product testing. A business that imports or manufactures industrial chemicals – or products that contain industrial chemicals – must register their business with us, not their products or ingredients.

For enquiries about cosmetic product safety, you should contact the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

I’ve had a reaction to a product – should I report it?

AICIS doesn’t normally receive reports of adverse reactions to products or ingredients. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s advice is to stop using a product immediately and seek medical advice if you have an allergic reaction or it causes irritation. You can also report unsafe consumer products to Product Safety Australia.

Can you give me advice on product labelling?

We often receive enquiries about how to label cosmetics and products that contain industrial chemicals. However, we don’t set the rules for labelling, packaging, or safety data sheet requirements in Australia – and cannot provide detailed guidance or recommendations about these requirements.

Can't find an answer to your question?

Submit an enquiry using our contact us form.