What it is
Aromatic solvent from refineries. Used in paints, thinners, printing inks, adhesives, rubber solution and as a chemical feedstock.
Nitration gradeIndustrial / solvent grade
Where imports come from
Production 141.6 thousand tonnes against consumption of 708.6 thousand tonnes in 2024-25 (DCPC) — about four-fifths imported.
- South Korea
- Thailand
- China
- Philippines
- Taiwan
Rules before you buy or sell
- The Toluene QCO (IS 537:2011) was rescinded by S.O. 5528(E) on 1 Dec 2025.
- Toluene is not scheduled under the NDPS Act, but it is internationally monitored. Customs (May–June 2026) asked importers and exporters to get a no-objection communication from the Central Bureau of Narcotics before each import or export.
- Toluene is listed in Schedule 1 of the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical (MSIHC) Rules, 1989. Above the threshold quantities, a unit must notify authorities, keep safety data sheets and an on-site emergency plan.
- Flammable solvents are petroleum under the Petroleum Act; storing more than the exempt quantity needs a PESO licence under the Petroleum Rules, 2002.
Storage and handling
Highly flammable; vapour harmful. Store in closed, earthed drums in a ventilated licensed store.
Businesses that use it
Paint Thinner Making →Enamel Paint Manufacturing →Printing Ink →Paint Manufacturing →
Sources (4)
- Chemical and Petrochemical Statistics at a Glance 2025, Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals (Tables 3, 5, 8, 10, 16, 17, 20, 28)
- BIS — Products under compulsory certification, Scheme-I (QCO list with amendment and rescind orders; page updated 24 Sep 2026) · 2026
- Chennai Customs Alert Notice No. 02/2026 (1 Jun 2026) on CMD Alert Notice No. 03/2026 — acetone, ethyl ether, hydrochloric acid, piperidine, sulphuric acid and toluene · 2026
- Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989 (as amended up to 2000), Schedule 1 — copy hosted by Inspectorate of Factories & Boilers, Goa · 1989