1981Regulation
Ministry of Labor established first asbestos permissible exposure limit (PEL) at 5 fiber/cc
↗ SourceSENTINEL ARCHIVE / CASE #175
Taiwan
Complete ban on all asbestos types effective January 1, 2018 under the Toxic Chemical Substances Control Act (TCSCA). Crocidolite and amosite banned since 1997; chrysotile and all remaining forms banned 2018. Phased elimination 2012–2018 covering cement panels, roof tiles, brake linings. Import of asbestos-containing products banned May 2023. Taiwan consumed 668,000 metric tons of asbestos (1939–2015), peaking in the 1980s. Kaohsiung was the world's largest shipbreaking center (1977–1988) with massive occupational exposure. 389 asbestos-related factories employed 183,560 workers. Predicted 659 new mesothelioma cases 2017–2046. In 2025, Typhoon Danas damaged aging asbestos roofing across central/southern Taiwan; NT$1.487 billion allocated for emergency cleanup.
2018Full Ban
2018
Year Banned
—
Mesothelioma Rate
Hundreds of thousands of…
Buildings at Risk
1960s–1990s
Peak Usage Era
Regulatory Timeline
1980s
- 1989Regulation
EPA designated asbestos as Class 2 toxic chemical substance under TCSCA; facilities handling ACMs ≥15% w/w must comply
↗ Source
1990s
- 1997Legislation
Banned crocidolite and amosite use (except R&D/testing/education); ACM threshold lowered to 1% w/w
↗ Source
2000s
- 2009Event
First Taipei Declaration signed by participants from 5 countries calling for Asian asbestos bans
↗ Source
2010s
- 2012Regulation
EPA announced phased elimination schedule: cement panels (Aug 2012), roof tiles (Feb 2013), brake linings (Jul 2018)
↗ Source - 2015Event
TOSHLINK and Taiwan Labor Front organized major advocacy campaign pressing for immediate total ban
↗ Source - 2018Legislation
Total ban on all asbestos use effective January 1. Taiwan became 62nd country with a national asbestos ban
↗ Source
2020s
- 2023Legislation
Import ban on asbestos-containing products effective May 2023; customs border inspections reinforced
↗ Source - 2025Event
Typhoon Danas damaged aging asbestos roofing across central/southern Taiwan; NT$1.487 billion allocated for emergency cleanup; 27,978 tonnes removed by Jan 2026
↗ Source
Stories of Resistance
The people who fought for change.
Cheng Ya-wen
SCIENTIST2009–2018Director, Taiwan Occupational Safety and Health Link; Professor of Health Policy at National Taiwan University. Led advocacy campaign for total asbestos ban alongside international networks.
Co-organized the advocacy movement that pressured EPA to maintain the 2018 ban deadline; documented the systemic invisibility of asbestos-related diseases in Taiwan's workers' compensation system.
“Asbestos is the primary cause of occupational cancer... the situation is ongoing and on the rise, but the government has not taken proper measures regarding workers' asbestos exposure and disease management.”— Taipei Times, December 22, 2015↗ Source
Jung-Der Wang
SCIENTIST1980–2018Professor of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital. Led the 29-year cohort study of 160,640 asbestos workers that provided the scientific evidence base for Taiwan's ban.
Landmark epidemiological studies demonstrated 5.9-fold to 258-fold increased mesothelioma risk in specific industries; predicted 659 new mesothelioma cases in Taiwan over the next 30 years.
↗ Source2018Ban Year
All forms of asbestos have been banned since 2018. Buildings constructed before this date may still contain asbestos materials.
Buildings at Risk
Estimated scope of asbestos-containing materials still present in the built environment.
- Hundreds of thousands of 4-5 story apartment buildings (公寓) built during 1960s-1970s foundational building boom contain asbestos-cement roofing and cladding
- no national inventory exists. 2025 Typhoon Danas scattered 27,978 tonnes of asbestos waste across central/southern Taiwan. 668,000 tonnes consumed 1939–2015.
1960s–1990sPeak Usage Era
The period when asbestos was most heavily used in construction. Buildings from this era have the highest probability of containing asbestos materials.
Material Identification Guide
Common materials still present in buildings
asbestos-cement roofing sheets
HIGH RISKNon-friable
1930–2000
asbestos-cement flat sheets and roof tiles
HIGH RISKNon-friable
1930–2000
brake linings and friction materials
HIGH RISKFriable
1920–2000
thermal insulation
HIGH RISKFriable
1935–1978
pipe lagging and gaskets
HIGH RISKFriable
1920–1980
asbestos textiles
HIGH RISKFriable
1920–1985
sealants and construction joint fillers
↗Learn moreWhat To Do If You Live Here
- Your country has banned asbestos, but older buildings may still contain legacy materials.
- Buildings built before the ban year may contain asbestos-containing materials.
- Hire a certified asbestos surveyor before any renovation or demolition work.
- Do not disturb older building materials without professional testing.
Check Your Property
Enter your building's age and type for a personalized asbestos risk assessment.
Check My Property's RiskSources
- IBAS Ban List
- PMC — Transnational Dynamics Amid Poor Regulations: Taiwan's Asbestos Ban (Cheng et al., 2017)
- PMC — Increased SIR of MPM in Taiwanese Asbestos Workers (Lin et al., 2015)
- PMC — Clustering of MPM in asbestos factories in Taiwan (Wu et al., 2018)
- PubMed — Upcoming epidemic of asbestos-related MPM in Taiwan (Wu et al., 2018)
- PLOS ONE — Cancer in Shipbreaking Workers (Wu et al., 2015)
- Taipei Times — Labor advocacy groups call for ban on asbestos (Dec 2015)
- Focus Taiwan — Imports of asbestos-containing products banned (Oct 2022)
- CHA.gov.tw — Ministry of Environment Asbestos Roof Tile Removal (2025)
- ChemLinked — Blanket Ban on Asbestos in Taiwan from 1 Jan 2018
Last updated: 2026-04-09
Information aggregated from public sources including IBAS, EPA, and WHO. Not legal or medical advice.
How we source our data →