Exemptions under the Minamata Convention on Mercury

Paragraph 1 of article 6 of the Minamata Convention on Mercury provides that any State or regional economic integration organization may register one or more exemptions from the phase-out dates listed in annex A and annex B for mercury-added products and for manufacturing processes in which mercury or mercury compounds are used, respectively. Paragraph 5 of article 6 provides that such exemptions expire five years after the phase out date listed in annex A or B unless a shorter period is indicated by a party. Paragraph 6 of article 6 provides that the Conference of the Parties may, at the request of a Party, decide to extend an exemption for five years unless the party requests a shorter period. The Conference of the Parties, at its 6th meeting in 2025, decided on extensions of some exemptions.  

The registered exemptions are shown in the following tables. 

Exemptions from the phase-out dates listed in Part I of Annex A to the Minamata Convention on Mercury
Party Indicate the specific category/subcategory for which the exemption is registered and whether the exemption is for manufacture Explanation for the exemption Expiry date for the exemption
Argentina

The following non-electronic measuring devices except non-electronic measuring devices installed in large-scale equipment or those used for high precision measurement, where no suitable mercury-free alternative is available: (a)-(e):

Manufacture of:

  1. clinical thermometers
 English 2025
Bangladesh

Expiry date: 2025

Import for the following non-electronic measuring devices except non-electronic measuring devices installed in largescale equipment or those used for high-precision measurement, where no suitable mercury-free alternative is available: (a) - (e)

Manufacture and export for the following mercury-added products:

  1. Switches and relays, except very high accuracy capacitance and loss measurement bridges and high frequency radio frequency switches and relays in monitoring and control instruments with a maximum mercury content of 20 mg per bridge, switch or relay.
  2. Pesticides, biocides and tropical antiseptics.

Manufacture, import and export for the following mercury-added products:

  1. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) for general lighting purposes that are ≤ 30 watts with a mercury content exceeding 5 mg per lamp burner.
  2. Linear fluorescent lamps (CFLs) for general lighting purposes: (a)-(b).
  3. Mercury in cold cathode fluorescent lamps and external electrode fluorescent lamps (CCFL and EEFL) for electronic displays: (a)-(c).
  4. Cosmetics (with mercury content above 1ppm), including skin lightening soaps and creams, and not including eye area cosmetics, where mercury is used as a preservative and no effective and safe substitute preservatives are available.

Expiry date: 2027

Import  for High pressure mercury vapour lamps (HPMV) for general lighting purposes

Expiry date: 2028

Import  for Switches and relays, except very high accuracy capacitance and loss measurement bridges and high frequency radio frequency switches and relays in monitoring and control instruments with a maximum mercury content of 20 mg per bridge, switch or relay.

Expiry date: 2030

Import  for the following mercury-added products:

  1. Batteries, except for button zinc silver oxide batteries with a mercury content < 2 % and button zinc air batteries with a mercury content < 2 %.
  2. Pesticides, biocides and topical antiseptics.

Information on the extended exemption: UNEP/MC/COP.6/28 (to be issued)

 English 2030
Botswana

Import for all mercury-added products, as listed in Part I of Annex A of the Convention

 English 2025
Canada

Linear flourescent lamps (CFLs) for general lighting purposes: (a)-(b).

Manufacture, import and export of:

  1. triband phosphor < 60 watts with a mercury content exeeding 5 mg per lamp.
  2. Mercury in cold cathode fluorescent lamps and external electrode flourescent lamps (CCFL and EEFL) for electronic displays: (a)-(c).

Manufacture, import and export of CCFLs and EEFLs:

  1. short length (≤ 500 mm) with mercury content exceeding 3.5 mg per lamp.
  2. medium lenth (> 500 mm and ≤ 1 500 mm) with mercury content exceeding 5 mg per lamp.
 English 2025
China

The following non-electronic measuring devices except non-electronic measuring devices installed in large-scale equipment or those used for high precision measurement, where no suitable mercury-free alternative is available: (a)-(e).

Manufacture of:

  1. clinical thermometers
  2. sphygmomanometers
 English , Chinese 2025
Ghana

Manufacture, import and export for all mercury-added products, as listed in Part I of Annex A of the Convention.

 English 2025
India

Expiry date: 2025

Manufacture, import and export for all mercury-added products, as listed in Part I of Annex A of the Convention.

Expiry date: 2030

Manufacture, import and export  for:

  1. Switches and relays, except very high accuracy capacitance and loss measurement bridges and high frequency radio frequency switches and relays in monitoring and control instruments with a maximum mercury content of 20 mg per bridge, switch or relay.
  2. High pressure mercury vapour lamps (HPMV) for general lighting purposes.
  3. Topical antiseptics.
  4. the following non-electronic measuring devices except non-electronic measuring devices installed in large scale equipment or those used for high-precision measurement, where no suitable mercury-free alternative is available: (a) - (e).

Information on the extended exemption: UNEP/MC/COP.6/28 (to be issued)

 English 2030
Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Import for the following mercury-added products:

  1. Batteries, except for button zink silver oxide batteries with a mercury content < 2 % and button zink air batteries with a mercury content < 2 %.

Manufacture, import and export for the following mercury-added products:

  1. Switches and relays, except very high accuracy capacitance and loss measurement bridges and high frequency radio frequency switches and relays in monitoring and control instruments with a maximum mercury content of 20 mg per bridge, switch or relay.
  2. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) for general lighting purposes that are ≤ 30 watts with a mercury content exceeding 5 mg per lamp burner.
  3. Linear flourescent lamps (CFLs) for general lighting purposes: (a)-(b).
  4. High pressure mercury vapour lamps (HPMV) for general lighting purposes.
  5. Mercury in cold cathode fluorescent lamps and external electrode flourescent lamps (CCFL and EEFL) for electronic displays: (a)-(c).

Manufacture and export for the following mercury-added products:

  1. The following non-electronic measuring devices except non-electronic measuring devices installed in large-scale equipment or those used for high precision measurement, where no suitable mercury-free alternative is available: (a)-(e).
 English 2025
Lesotho

Import for the following mercury-added products:

  1. Batteries, except for button zink silver oxide batteries with a mercury content < 2 % and button zink air batteries with a mercury content < 2 %.
  2. Switches and relays, except very high accuracy capacitance and loss measurement bridges and high frequency radio frequency switches and relays in monitoring and control instruments with a maximum mercury content of 20 mg per bridge, switch or relay.
  3. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) for general lighting purposes that are ≤ 30 watts with a mercury content exceeding 5 mg per lamp burner.
  4. Linear flourescent lamps (CFLs) for general lighting purposes: (a)-(b).
  5. High pressure mercury vapour lamps (HPMV) for general lighting purposes.
  6. Mercury in cold cathode fluorescent lamps and external electrode flourescent lamps (CCFL and EEFL) for electronic displays: (a)-(c).
  7. The following non-electronic measuring devices except non-electronic measuring devices installed in large-scale equipment or those used for high precision measurement, where no suitable mercury-free alternative is available: (a)-(e).
 English 2025
Madagascar

Import for all mercury-added products, as listed in Part I of Annex A of the Convention.

 English 2025
Peru

The following non-electronic measuring devices except non-electronic measuring devices installed in large-scale equipment or those used for high precision measurement, where no suitable mercury-free alternative is available: (a)-(e).

Manufacture, import and export of:

  1. Thermometers
  2. Sphygmomanometers
 English 2025
Eswatini (Kingdom of)

Import for the following mercury-added products:

  1. Batteries, except for button zink silver oxide batteries with a mercury content < 2 % and button zink air batteries with a mercury content < 2 %.
  2. Switches and relays, except very high accuracy capacitance and loss measurement bridges and high frequency radio frequency switches and relays in monitoring and control instruments with a maximum mercury content of 20 mg per bridge, switch or relay.
  3. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) for general lighting purposes that are ≤ 30 watts with a mercury content exceeding 5 mg per lamp burner.
  4. Linear flourescent lamps (CFLs) for general lighting purposes: (a)-(b).
  5. High pressure mercury vapour lamps (HPMV) for general lighting purposes.
  6. Mercury in cold cathode fluorescent lamps and external electrode flourescent lamps (CCFL and EEFL) for electronic displays: (a)-(c).
  7. The following non-electronic measuring devices except non-electronic measuring devices installed in large-scale equipment or those used for high precision measurement, where no suitable mercury-free alternative is available: (a)-(e).
 English 2025
Thailand

Expiry date: 2025

Manufacture, Import and Export for Topical antiseptics.

Expiry date: 2030

Manufacture, Import and Export for the following mercury-added products:

  1. Switches and relays.
  2. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) for general lighting purposes that are ≤ 30 watts with a mercury content exceeding 5 mg per lamp burner.
  3. Linear flourescent lamps (CFLs) for general lighting purposes: (a)-(b).
  4. High pressure mercury vapour lamps (HPMV) for general lighting purposes.
  5. Mercury in cold cathode fluorescent lamps and external electrode flourescent lamps (CCFL and EEFL) for electronic displays: (a)-(c).
  6. Barometers, Hygrometers, Manometers, Thermometers and Sphygmomanometers.

Information on the extended exemption: UNEP/MC/COP.6/28 (to be issued)

 English 2030
Exemptions from the phase-out dates listed in Part I of Annex B to the Minamata Convention on Mercury
Party Specific category/subcategory for which an exemption is registered Explanation for the exemption Expiry date for the exemption
Argentina

Chlor-alkali production

 English 2030
Ghana

Expiry date: 2023

Acetaldehyde production in which mercury or mercury compounds are used as a catalyst

Expiry date: 2030

Chlor-alkali production

 English 2030
India

Acetaldehyde production in which mercury or mercury compounds are used as a catalyst

 English 2023
Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Chlor-alkali production

 English 2030
Peru

Chlor-alkali production

 English 2030
United States of America

Chlor-alkali production

 English 2030