Exporting From India? The Questions Our Experts Ask Before Drafting Your MSDS (Target Market, CAS Numbers and Certificate of Analysis)

When you export chemicals, cosmetics, cleaning products, oils, paints, fragrances, incense or batteries from India, the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet), now called the SDS (Safety Data Sheet), travels with your shipment. Freight forwarders, shipping lines, airlines, customs and your buyer all read it. If it is wrong, the cargo waits.

That is why our experts never start drafting from a template. Before we write a single section, we ask you a set of questions. This guide explains what we ask, why each answer matters, and what you can keep ready to get your MSDS faster.

Question 1: Which Market Are You Exporting To?

This is always our first question, because an MSDS is written for a market, not just for a product. The 16-section structure comes from the UN's Globally Harmonized System (GHS), but every country applies it in its own way:

Destination	What changes in the MSDS
European Union	REACH Annex II format, CLP classification, and the language of the country where the product is sold
United Kingdom	UK REACH and GB CLP
United States	OSHA Hazard Communication Standard format and classification
Canada	WHMIS requirements, in both English and French
China, Japan, Korea	National formats and the local language
Gulf and other markets	GHS-based SDS, often with buyer- or port-specific requirements

The target market also decides which exposure limits, regulatory lists and restricted substances go into the MSDS. A product can be classified differently in two countries, so one MSDS rarely fits every market. For a country-by-country view, see our global SDS regulatory map. If you sell in several countries, tell us all of them at the start and we plan the versions together.

Question 2: What Is the Composition of Your Product?

The hazards of a product come from its ingredients, so we need the full composition with the percentage of each ingredient. For a mixture, the classification is calculated from the hazards and concentrations of its ingredients: an ingredient at 0.5% can change the result, so approximate lists are not enough.

Please share:

• every ingredient, including solvents, preservatives, fragrances and colours
• the percentage or range of each ingredient
• your raw material suppliers' MSDS, if you have them
• any impurities or residual monomers you know of

Question 3: What Are the CAS Numbers of the Ingredients?

A CAS number is a unique identifier given to each chemical substance by the Chemical Abstracts Service. Trade names and common names can be ambiguous; a CAS number is not. With the CAS number, our experts can:

• identify each ingredient exactly
• look up its official classification and hazard data
• check it against restricted-substance lists in your destination market, such as the EU's REACH SVHC candidate list
• list it correctly in Section 3 of the MSDS

Don't have the CAS numbers? That is common, and you do not need to find them yourself. Send us the ingredient names or your suppliers' documents and we identify the CAS numbers for you. If you export to the EU, also read our guide to REACH SVHC compliance for exporters.

Question 4: Do You Have a Certificate of Analysis?

Where required, we ask for a certificate of analysis (CoA) for the product or batch you are shipping. A CoA gives measured values for your actual product, such as:

• purity or assay
• pH
• density or specific gravity
• flash point, for liquids
• appearance, odour and moisture content

The CoA helps us make a better assessment of the composition and fill Section 9 (physical and chemical properties) with real data instead of estimates. Some values decide the classification directly: the flash point of a liquid, for example, decides whether it ships as a flammable liquid. If a value like this is missing, we arrange the test through our industrial chemical testing partners rather than guess.

Question 5: How Will the Product Be Shipped and Packed?

Section 14 of the MSDS gives the transport information that your forwarder, shipping line or airline relies on: the UN number, proper shipping name, hazard class, packing group and marine pollutant status. The rules differ by mode:

• Sea: the IMDG Code
• Air: the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations
• Road in Europe: ADR

We also ask about the pack size and packaging, because limited and excepted quantity provisions can make shipping simpler and cheaper for small packs. Air shipments of lithium batteries also need a UN 38.3 test summary; see our guide on MSDS for air freight exports.

Question 6: What Is the Product Used For?

The intended use goes into Section 1 and shapes the handling, exposure control and disposal advice. A cleaning concentrate for industrial users and the same product diluted for consumers need different advice.

Your Information Checklist

What we need	Why	Required?
Destination country or countries	Decides the format, classification and language	Yes
Full composition with percentages	Hazard classification of the mixture	Yes
CAS numbers	Exact identification of each ingredient	We can find them
Certificate of analysis	Measured physical and chemical data	Where required
Supplier MSDS of raw materials	Ingredient hazard data	Helpful
Mode of shipping and pack size	Transport classification in Section 14	Yes
Intended use	Section 1 and safe handling advice	Yes
Exporter's name, address and emergency phone number	Section 1 supplier details	Yes

Is My Formulation Safe With You?

Yes. Your formulation is your business. We use the full composition only for the assessment and show on the MSDS only what the regulations of your destination market require. We are happy to sign a non-disclosure agreement before you share anything.

What Happens After You Answer

1. We classify the product for your destination market.
2. We draft all 16 sections, including transport information for your mode of shipping.
3. Our experts review it against your composition, CoA and the destination rules.
4. You receive the MSDS ready for your forwarder, customs and buyer, along with an SDS compliance certificate if your logistics partner or marketplace needs one.

We have done this for exporters of chemicals, cosmetics, oils, batteries and more; see how we prepared a globally usable SDS for an agarbatti exporter. To understand what each section contains, read our guide to the 16 sections of an MSDS.

Ready to ship? See our MSDS / SDS authoring service or send us your product details.