Taiwan Proposes to Ban Methoxychlor in Environmental Pesticides

On October 14, 2025, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) of Taiwan proposed an amendment to the List of Prohibited Ingredients and Testing Methods for Environmental Pesticides, adding Methoxychlor (CAS No. 72-43-5) as a newly banned substance.

Alignment with Global Bans and POPs Listing

Methoxychlor, an organochlorine insecticide, has been banned in most developed countries due to its bioaccumulative properties and harmful effects on the nervous, endocrine, and reproductive systems. In May 2023, the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP-11) to the UN Stockholm Convention officially listed Methoxychlor as a Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP).

National Action to Protect Health and Environment

To align with international management trends and safeguard public health and the environment, Taiwan’s EPA has drafted this revision to explicitly prohibit Methoxychlor from being manufactured, processed, imported, exported, sold, or used in any environmental pesticide products.

This is the fourth revision to the regulation since it was first established on June 5, 2006. The most recent version, updated in July 2022, included 82 prohibited substances. Methoxychlor will become the 83rd entry once the amendment is finalized. Other provisions and microbial restrictions in the annex remain unchanged.