This is not an ordinary standard update; rather, it represents a “consolidated upgrade” of the limit requirements for hazardous substances in industrial coatings.

It covers both factory‑applied and on‑site coating processes, replacing several older standards. For industrial coatings manufacturers and downstream users, its impact will be directly reflected in R&D formulations, raw material substitutions, testing and certification procedures, sales reporting metrics, and customer delivery practices.

As a company that has long focused on industrial waterborne coatings, industrial anti-corrosion coatings, and specialty functional coatings, Holy Hong is also, in light of the new standards’ implementation, continuously refining its product portfolio, testing documentation, technical files, and customer communication guidelines.

After today, when selecting industrial coating solutions, customers can no longer simply ask, “Is the protection sufficient?” They must also ask:

Has the compliance evidence chain been updated in sync?

Figure 1: The changes brought by GB 30981.2-2025 go beyond merely adopting a new standard number.

The implementation of the new standard is not merely a matter of updating a document; it represents a comprehensive assessment of an organization’s capabilities in industrial coatings product management, customer service, and environmental compliance.

Companies should also remind their customers: don’t just assess whether a supplier can deliver the product—pay equal attention to whether the supplier can clearly explain the standards, testing procedures, installation processes, and after-sales communication.

I. First, check: Which regulatory scope does the product fall under?

One of the key focuses of GB 30981.2-2025 is to bring multiple categories of industrial coatings under a more unified regulatory framework.

The first step for businesses is not to rush to announce externally that “our products are fully compliant with the new standards,” but rather to first sort and verify their product categories.

In particular, industrial anti-corrosion coatings, waterborne industrial coatings, low-VOCs coatings, and on-site application support products all require evaluation based on real-world application scenarios.

When serving customers in sectors such as equipment manufacturing, steel structures, construction machinery, and industrial facility protection, we integrate product application scenarios, coating methods, supporting systems, and customer acceptance criteria into our discussions—rather than simply providing isolated product specifications.

Figure 2: It is recommended that companies first establish this internal verification checklist.

This table can be directly converted into an internal checklist for joint use by R&D, quality control, and sales.

Internally, enterprises should also conduct ongoing synchronized reviews of product lists, formulation systems, test reports, and customer documentation, ensuring that the delivery of waterborne industrial coatings, industrial anti-corrosion coatings, and specialty functional coatings is clearer and more traceable.

II. Re‑examination: Can the old reports, old labels, and old scripts still be used?

After the new standard is implemented, what many companies tend to overlook is not the formulation, but rather the documentation.

Can test reports issued under the previous standards still meet the customer’s latest procurement requirements?

Do the standard numbers in product labels, technical documentation, and safety data sheets need to be updated?

When communicating with external stakeholders, are sales representatives still using vague phrases like “the old standards have been met” or “fully automated and compliant”?

These details directly impact customer reviews, tender documents, project acceptance, and communication with third-party testing agencies.

For us at Holy Hong, compliant communication isn’t just a final sales‑side remark like “it meets the standards”; it means maintaining a consistent message across technical selection, product recommendations, documentation, and even construction services.

Figure 3: Four Categories of Data Recommended for Priority Review Today

We recommend that customers and partners first process these four types of data.

This approach is more practical than simply issuing a “Notice on the Implementation of the New Standard,” and it also helps reduce communication costs in subsequent procurement, testing, and acceptance processes.

III. Key Areas of Inspection: R&D formulations and raw material substitutions—do not focus solely on VOCs.

The move toward low-VOC and water-based industrial coatings is a clear direction, but the impact of GB 30981.2-2025 extends beyond VOCs alone.

Resin, pigments and fillers, additives, thinners, curing agents, cleaning agents, and other process steps can all influence the final assessment.

Therefore, a company cannot be simply understood as:

“As long as it’s a water-based industrial coating, it’s naturally compliant.”

A more prudent approach is to integrate environmental compliance into the R&D phase, ensuring that, while meeting requirements for corrosion resistance, construction stability, and customer cost considerations, limits on hazardous substances are managed in parallel.

Holy Hong has long been developing industrial waterborne coatings, waterborne industrial protective coatings, graphene-based heavy-duty anti-corrosion coating systems, and specialty functional coatings. Its core approach is not to treat “environmental protection” as a mere label, but rather to integrate low VOCs, long-term protection, ease of application, and customers’ on-site requirements into a single coating system.

Figure 4: From “Product Compliance” to “Coating System Capabilities”

After the standard is implemented, truly competitive industrial coatings companies will no longer simply claim, “We have a product”; instead, they will deliver a comprehensive package that includes the product, supporting documentation, testing, and service.

This is also why we continue to strengthen our capabilities in industrial coating systems.

IV. What do customers care about most? Not the standard provisions, but delivery risks.

Downstream customers won’t scrutinize every single clause of the standard, but they will be concerned with a few very practical issues:

Should the existing procurement documents be updated?

Can the existing inventory still be used?

Does the acceptance of a new project require retesting?

Should the thinners, curing agents, and cleaning agents used on-site also be managed in a coordinated manner?

Can the supplier provide clear, complete, and traceable documentation?

We believe that, following the implementation of the new standards, the value of industrial coating suppliers extends beyond simply providing a product; it also lies in helping customers mitigate uncertainties throughout the selection, testing, application, and acceptance processes.

Therefore, it is now an ideal time for companies to create a one-page customer communication document.

Figure 5: A customer communication one-page can be designed like this.

The value of such one-page documents lies in translating “standard changes” into “actionable steps that customers can easily understand.”

We will also continue to focus on industrial waterborne coatings, industrial anti-corrosion coatings, low-VOCs coatings, and industrial coating solutions, providing customers with clearer technical communication and application support.

V. Compliance is becoming a systemic competitive advantage for industrial coatings companies.

The implementation of GB 30981.2-2025 serves as a reminder to the industry of one important point:

Competition in the industrial coatings sector is shifting from focusing on individual product specifications to a holistic system capability that encompasses formulation, testing, documentation, application, and service.

In the future, when selecting industrial coating solutions, customers will not only consider price and sample‑level performance; they will also evaluate whether a supplier can consistently deliver low‑VOC coatings, industrial anti‑corrosion coatings, comprehensive testing data, on‑site application support, and ongoing service.

For Holy Hong, the implementation of the new standard is both a compliance requirement and a reminder to continue enhancing the capabilities of its industrial coating system.

Focusing on industrial waterborne coatings, waterborne industrial protective coatings, graphene-based heavy-duty anti-corrosion coating systems, and specialty functional coatings, we will continue to refine our formulation development, testing protocols, documentation, production processes, and service integration, helping our customers strike a more reliable balance between environmental compliance and long-term protection.

The implementation of the standard is not the end; rather, it marks the starting point for the industry to enter a new phase of standardized competition.

Starting today, the most pressing priority for industrial coatings companies is clear:

Re‑review the product list, formulation system, raw material documentation, test reports, label files, and sales guidelines.

We will also work closely with our customers to prioritize compliance, establish a robust chain of evidence, and ensure that every industrial coating delivery is clearer, more stable, and more reliable.

Holy Hong (Dalian) New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. is an environmentally friendly enterprise that integrates the research and development, production, sales, and engineering construction of graphene-based heavy-duty anti-corrosion coatings and waterborne industrial paints. Holy Hong focuses on waterborne industrial protective coatings and graphene-based heavy-duty anti-corrosion coating systems, providing solutions for customers in the petrochemical, port and offshore engineering, bridge and municipal, and heavy equipment sectors—addressing long-term protection challenges under conditions of high salt spray, high humidity and heat, intense ultraviolet radiation, chemical media corrosion, and stringent environmental compliance requirements.