Acetic acid: Regulation

Burns, flammable vapour and the food-grade E260

What this tab covers How it is regulated and what could disrupt supply: hazard classification, rules in the EU, US and India, anti-dumping duties and other trade measures, and supply-risk notes.

Hazards

Classification	UN number	Key risks
Flammable liquid cat 3; skin corrosion cat 1A	UN2789	Causes severe burns and eye damage; flammable vapour above about 39 C flash point.

Main rules

Where	Rule	Effect
EU	REACH registration; occupational limit 10 ppm (Directive 2017/164, indicative)	workplace controls
US	OSHA PEL 10 ppm (indicative)	workplace controls
Global	Food-grade acetic acid as food additive E260	separate purity standards for food use

India

Rule	Effect
MSIHC Rules 1989 (indicative)	storage and emergency planning
Customs duty waiver on 40 petrochemicals April to 15 July 2026 (scope for acetic acid not verified)	temporary import relief

Trade measures

No current DGTR anti-dumping duty on acetic acid found
Chinese export competitiveness is the main trade issue for Asian producers

Supply risk

Moderate: China is about half of capacity, but there are producers in the US, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and the UK. India is exposed to price swings until domestic capacity is built.