ASEAN is one technical rulebook and ten national front doors. Notification, fees, language, and enforcement remain national. Always pair the ACD annex with the local FDA circular.
ASEAN Cosmetic Directive for SME brands
The ASEAN Cosmetic Directive sets shared product, GMP, labeling, and ingredient annexes. Placing on a national market still requires that country’s notification and local label rules.
Who should care
Brands treating “ASEAN” as one shipment. If you sell in two or more Member States, budget per-country notification and a process to ingest ACD annex updates.
Official sources
SME: first 5 things
-
1
Appoint a local company in each market
Notification is national even when the formula is regional.
-
2
Manufacture to ASEAN GMP
ACD expects GMP aligned with the ASEAN guidelines.
-
3
Watch annex updates
ACD annexes move after ACSB meetings; Member States then issue circulars (example: Philippines FDA Circular 2026-0001 compiling 40th–42nd amendments).
-
4
Label for the country
Language, notification number, and importer particulars differ.
-
5
Do not assume EU annex = already notified in ASEAN
Lag and national extras are normal.
Obligation map
| Topic | SME note | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Product standard | ACD + annexes | Official |
| National notification | Each Member State FDA | — |
| GMP | ASEAN GMP guidelines | — |
| Labeling | National language and ID rules | — |
Common pitfalls
- One ASEAN notification for all ten markets
- Shipping on an old annex after a Member State circular
- Ignoring Halal or local claim extras where they apply
- Copying EU INCI-only labels into Bahasa/Thai markets
More context
What this page covers
Regional framework only. Confirm the current national circular before first shipment.
Recent regulatory updates
All newsTrack updates in Workbench, or upgrade for full Regulatory Details and follow-up tools.
Always confirm requirements against official publications before decisions.