REACH Regulation EC/1907/2006: A Plain-English Guide for Importers and Resellers

Chemicals in the products you import or resell into the EU are covered by rules that go well beyond labelling. REACH Regulation EC/1907/2006 is the EU law that governs how substances are registered, evaluated, and in some cases restricted or authorised before they can be placed on the market.

What REACH Actually Covers

REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. It applies to substances on their own, substances in mixtures, and substances contained in articles — meaning finished products, not just raw chemicals. If you import textiles, electronics, toys, furniture, cosmetics, or almost any manufactured good into the EU, the materials used to make them fall under this regulation.

Who Needs to Pay Attention

REACH obligations fall on EU manufacturers, importers, and in some cases downstream users and distributors. If your business brings goods into the EU from outside, you are generally treated as the importer of record and take on responsibility for knowing what substances are in your products, even if you did not manufacture them yourself.

What It Requires

Under REACH Regulation EC/1907/2006 compliance, importers need to be able to produce several things on request:

Substance Limits to Know

REACH Regulation EC/1907/2006 requirements set specific limits for certain substances found in articles:

These limits apply regardless of where the product was manufactured — what matters is what enters the EU market.

Where This Leaves Small Importers

Many small importers assume REACH is only relevant to chemical companies. In practice, it applies to anyone bringing physical goods into the EU, because those goods are made from materials that fall under the regulation. Knowing what is in your supply chain, and being able to document it, is the core of staying compliant.

If you want to see how REACH requirements apply to your specific products, you can look at [REACH Regulation EC/1907/2006](/regulations/reach) and check your [supplier compliance](/supplier-compliance) documentation with Complyra.