Current Asbestos Bans and Restrictions
(Revised April 4, 2008)
National Asbestos Bans:1
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Chile
Croatia2
Cyprus*
Czech Republic*
Denmark
Egypt
Estonia*
Finland
France
Gabon
Germany
Greece*
Honduras
Hungary*
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Japan [Major restrictions on asbestos use were introduced in October, 2004;
Japanese asbestos consumption has fallen by more than 90%.]3
Jordan4
Kuwait
Latvia
Lithuania*
Luxembourg
Malta*
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal*
Saudi Arabia
Seychelles
Slovakia*
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom (including England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)
Uruguay
Countries Planning Major Restrictions on Chrysotile Use:
Korea5
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1 Exemptions for minor uses are permitted in some countries.
2Croatia banned asbestos as of January 1, 2006. Six weeks later, the Ministry of Economy, under political and commercial pressure, forced the Ministry of Health to reverse its position with the result that the manufacture of asbestos-containing products for export was permitted again.
3In July, 2005, the Japanese Government announced implementation of a total asbestos ban within 3 years.
4An immediate ban on amosite and crocidolite was imposed on August 16, 2005; a grace period of one year was allowed for the phasing out of the use of tremolite, chrysotile, anthophyllite and actinolite in friction products, brake linings and clutch pads. After August 16, 2006, all forms of asbestos will be banned for all uses.
5In February 2007, the Korean Labor Ministry announced that a national asbestos ban will take effect in 2009.
* January 1, 2005 was the deadline for prohibiting the new use of chrysotile, other forms of asbestos having been banned previously, in all 25 Member States of the European Union; compliance with this directive has not been verified in countries with an asterisk (*).
