The very first post-pandemic in-person gathering among KCMA, NITE and SAHTECH was held during 2023 November 21 to 23 in Tainan and Taipei. This tripartite exchange event was made possible attributed to bilateral MOUs and goodwill between three institutions. The joint efforts added immense value to the discussions, creating an active platform for exchange of update/ideas, best practices in the realm of chemical management, future prospects and beyond.  A public event to highlight Japan and Korea’s chemical management regulatory update also welcomed over 100 local participants for trade facilitation.

Background: SAHTECH Institutional Cooperation with Japan and Korea

Aimed at enhancing regional cooperation and contribution to risk‐based safe chemicals management system, the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) of Japan, Safety and Health Technology Center (SAHTECH), and Korea Chemical Management Association (KCMA) of Korea signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), respectively, during 2015‐2017. Under the MoUs, this cooperation focuses on the chemical policy system of the three regions, as well as important issues related to chemical management, such as source management, chemical products management, risk management and communication, alternative testing methods, and common practice challenges etc. In practice, several bilateral meetings have been held annually to share the updated regulatory progress and the best practices of implementation since around 2015.
Ref: 2020, APEC Chemical Dialogue: Regulatory Cooperation Report