The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced important changes to the chemical lists under the Great Britain (GB) Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Regulation. The changes were recently announced and took effect on 28 August 2026.

These amendments introduce new chemicals subject to the Prior Informed Consent procedure, caused by updates to the Stockholm and Rotterdam conventions, and due to the strengthened restrictions on the export of certain mercury-containing products.

Businesses exporting chemicals and chemical-containing products from Great Britain should review the updated GB PIC List to determine whether the new requirements apply to their products. The list can either be viewed at the following link: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pic/pic-list.htm or via the ExESS database.

New Chemicals Added to the GB PIC List

Several chemicals have been added to Part 3 of the GB PIC List following their inclusion in Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention (The global treaty that controls the international trade of dangerous pesticides and industrial chemicals to protect people and nature.)

For substances listed in Part 3, exporters must obtain the consent of the importing country before the export can take place.

The newly added chemicals are:

• Decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE)
• Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and related compounds
• Terbufos
• Carbosulfan
• Fenthion ultra-low volume (ULV) formulations, where the active ingredient concentration is 640 g/L or higher

As part of these amendments, the existing entries for Carbosulfan and Fenthion in Part 2 have been removed because these substances are now included in Part 3. DecaBDE and PFOA have also been added to Part 1 of the GB PIC List and are subject to the PIC notification procedure.

Additional Persistent Organic Pollutants Subject to Export Controls

The GB PIC List has also been updated to reflect amendments relating to Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) under the Stockholm Convention.

The following substances have been added to Part 4 of the GB PIC List and are prohibited from export, subject to applicable exemptions and derogations:

• Dicofol
• Pentachlorophenol (PCP) and its salts and esters
• Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and related compounds
• Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), its salts and related compounds
• Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), its salts and related compounds
• Methoxychlor and its isomers

Expanded Export Restrictions on Mercury-Containing Products

The final set of amendments introduce additional controls on the export of certain mercury-containing products under Part 5 of the GB PIC List.

The products subject to export prohibitions include a range of lighting products, electrical and electronic equipment, measuring instruments and other products containing mercury.

Certain exemptions apply. These include specified uses for civil defence and military purposes, research and calibration, and circumstances where a mercury-containing component is required as a replacement part for large-scale equipment and no suitable mercury-free alternative is available.

What Should Businesses Do?

The amendments to the GB PIC Regulation introduce important changes to the regulatory requirements governing the export of certain chemicals and chemical-containing products from Great Britain.

With the updated requirements now in force, businesses involved in the export of affected substances or products should review their regulatory obligations and ensure that their export procedures, documentation and supply-chain controls are aligned with the revised GB PIC List.

Regular monitoring of regulatory developments is essential for companies operating internationally, particularly where products are subject to controls under the Rotterdam Convention, Stockholm Convention or UK chemicals legislation.