On April 24, 2026, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) officially published the General methods of test for pigments and extenders — Part 5: Determination of oil absorption (ISO 787-5:2026), which was led and developed by China. This standard fills a global gap in a unified test method for a key pigment property, and directly affects compliance testing and customs clearance procedures for the export of chemical pigments such as titanium dioxide, organic pigments, and inorganic color pastes to major markets including the EU, the United States, and Japan. Relevant trading companies, manufacturers, and supply chain service providers should pay close attention to its implementation impact.

Event Overview

On April 24, 2026, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) officially published ISO 787-5:2026, fully titled General methods of test for pigments and extenders — Part 5: Determination of oil absorption. This standard was led by China in its development and is Part 5 of the ISO 787 series. It establishes, for the first time on a global scale, a unified method for determining the oil absorption of pigments. The standard has now entered public release status on the ISO official website, and the text is publicly accessible.

Which Segments Will Be Affected

Direct trading companies
Since exports to markets such as the EU, the United States, and Japan require test reports that comply with the technical regulations of the importing country, oil absorption has long been a key indicator of pigment dispersibility, grinding energy consumption, and application performance, while inconsistencies in test methods have persisted for years. After implementation of this standard, reports issued by Chinese laboratories in accordance with ISO 787-5:2026 may be directly accepted by overseas importers, helping reduce the frequency of repeated testing.

Raw material procurement companies
Downstream companies in coatings, inks, and plastic products often use oil absorption as one of the criteria for quality acceptance when purchasing pigments. Previously, due to differences between domestic and international test methods, results for the same product from different laboratories could deviate by more than 10%. After standardization, buyers' trust in the technical parameters of domestic pigments is expected to improve, but internal quality inspection procedures will also need to be updated accordingly to align with the new method.

Processing and manufacturing companies
Manufacturers of titanium dioxide, organic pigments, and inorganic color pastes need to adjust their outgoing inspection work instructions in accordance with this standard. In particular, in areas such as grinding process optimization and validation of surface treatment formulations, oil absorption data will become a more stable input for process control; however, there is currently no mandatory conversion timetable, so companies may continue using existing methods until customers or certification bodies explicitly require a switch.

Supply chain service companies
Third-party testing institutions, certification service providers, and customs declaration agents need to assess the impact of this standard on their service offerings. For example, whether it is necessary to apply for an extension of testing capability for ISO 787-5:2026 under CNAS or ILAC mutual recognition accreditation; and whether the customs declaration process will gradually accept test reports marked “in accordance with ISO 787-5:2026” as supporting documents for customs clearance.

What Key Points Relevant Companies or Practitioners Should Watch, and How They Should Respond at Present

Monitor subsequent official statements or policy changes

At present, ISO 787-5:2026 is a voluntary international standard and has not yet been directly cited by regulations such as EU REACH, U.S. ASTM, or Japan JIS. Companies should continue tracking adoption trends from regulators and industry associations in various countries, such as the European Pigments Association (EPCA) and the Color Pigments Manufacturers Association (CPMA), especially whether it will be included in the list of CE marking harmonized standards or in relevant FDA guidance documents.

Track changes in key product categories, key markets, or key business links

Titanium dioxide exporters should prioritize reviewing high-value coating-grade product lines for the EU market; organic pigment companies should focus on feedback from Japanese end customers regarding the stability of oil absorption across batches of color paste. At the same time, if technical clauses in contracts still refer to methods such as older GB/T versions or ASTM D281, it is advisable to negotiate the addition of a clause in new orders stating that “the test method may be carried out in accordance with ISO 787-5:2026,” leaving room for transition.

Differentiate between policy signals and actual business implementation

The publication of this standard represents progress at the level of technical rules and is not an immediately effective mandatory market access threshold. Based on current analysis, overseas customs authorities are unlikely in the short term to reject shipments on this basis, and third-party retesting will still follow the method specified by the importing country; however, in the medium to long term, large multinational buyers may incorporate ISO 787-5:2026 into supplier quality agreements, thereby forming a de facto access requirement.

Prepare testing capabilities and communication plans in advance

Companies with in-house laboratories may review their existing equipment (such as Stormer viscometers and standard spatulas) and operating procedures (sample pretreatment, titration accuracy, result correction) against the standard text to determine whether they meet the requirements; companies that do not yet have testing capability are advised to connect in advance with domestic testing institutions that have already deployed ISO 787-5:2026 capability, to understand progress on accreditation scope extension and scheduling, and avoid delays caused by concentrated test submissions.

Editorial Viewpoint / Industry Observation

From an industry perspective, the publication of ISO 787-5:2026 is more of a phased signal of enhanced technical discourse power than an immediately effective market access outcome. It marks China’s first transition in the field of basic pigment test methods from “following standards” to “leading drafting,” but the conversion of standard influence into actual trade facilitation still depends on the pace at which overseas acceptance mechanisms are established. What deserves more attention at present is the response speed of regulators in major importing countries, as well as whether leading downstream users (such as PPG, AkzoNobel, and DIC) have initiated internal evaluations for method switching. This is not a single-point breakthrough, but rather a replicable pathway model in the internationalization process of China’s chemical standards.

Conclusion
The publication of ISO 787-5:2026 essentially provides China’s pigment industry with a more equal technical dialogue tool. Its value does not lie in immediately reducing all certification costs, but in narrowing the institutional gap for future mutual recognition of standards. At present, it is more appropriately understood as the completion of a piece of supporting infrastructure——it does not change current customs clearance rules, but lays a methodological foundation for reducing repeated testing and enhancing the international credibility of test reports in the future. Companies do not need to switch across the board immediately, but should incorporate it into their medium- to long-term roadmap for technical compliance evolution.

Information source note
Main source: ISO 787-5:2026 standard announcement publicly released on the official website of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO); areas for continued observation: progress by the European Commission, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and the Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC) in citing or adopting this standard.