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  • Notification of the Department of Industrial Works Subject: Public Hearing on the Principles for Revising the Notification of the Department of Industrial Works Re: Prescribing Qualifications of Hazardous Substance Import License Applicants and Criteria for Considering the Permission to Import Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) B.E. 2566 (Drafting Stage of Principles or Key Issues)

Notification of the Department of Industrial Works Subject: Public Hearing on the Principles for Revising the Notification of the Department of Industrial Works Re: Prescribing Qualifications of Hazardous Substance Import License Applicants and Criteria for Considering the Permission to Import Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) B.E. 2566 (Drafting Stage of Principles or Key Issues)

Public Hearing Period: May 21 – June 22, 2026

Background

Thailand ratified the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on April 3, 2024, which expanded the scope of control to Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). This aims to set targets and implement criteria to control the import of 18 HFCs, namely HFC-134, HFC-134a, HFC-143, HFC-245fa, HFC-365mfc, HFC-227ea, HFC-236cb, HFC-236ea, HFC-236fa, HFC-245ca, HFC-43-10mee, HFC-32, HFC-125, HFC-143a, HFC-41, HFC-152, HFC-152a, and HFC-23, including mixtures containing these HFCs. The objective is to control domestic consumption of such substances and plan for a continuous long-term phase-down: a 10% reduction in 2029, 30% in 2035, 50% in 2040, and 80% in 2045, respectively.

The Department of Industrial Works (DIW) deems it appropriate to revise the qualifications of hazardous substance import license applicants and the criteria for considering HFC import permissions, as currently stipulated in the DIW Notification Re: Prescribing Qualifications of Hazardous Substance Import License Applicants and Criteria for Considering the Permission to Import Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) B.E. 2566 (2023), to make them clearer, more comprehensive, and more appropriate. This revision will enhance the effectiveness of regulating and controlling domestic HFC consumption and align with the current usage situation, which will be beneficial for efficient administrative management and compliance with international obligations. The key principles or issues are as follows:

  • Revising criteria to support electronic network operations to increase operational efficiency and reduce procedural steps for business operators.

  • Extending the timeframe for submitting HFC import plans and usage objectives for the following year to the DIW (previously required by August 31 of every year), including adjusting the timeframe for organizing meetings with HFC import license applicants.

  • Revising criteria to support the management of HFC import quota rights after the allocation in a given year, such as returning quotas, requesting modifications to quotas, applying for additional quota allocations for the current year, and transferring quotas.

  • Revising criteria to support the temporary, case-by-case allocation of HFC import quotas for specific purposes, such as utilization in education, testing, analysis, research and development, and the maintenance of specialized tools or equipment.

  • Establishing measures for importers who have been allocated quotas but import significantly less than the prescribed threshold (e.g., less than 50% of the allocated quota) without notifying the return of their quotas within the specified timeframe.

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