The latest Global Automotive Declarable Substance List (GADSL) updates were implemented in IMDS on Friday 11 September 2026. Substances added or revised in the update are now flagged when material data sheets are created, checked or submitted.
What the GADSL Update Changes in IMDS
GADSL is the automotive industry’s voluntary material-information standard, maintained by the Global Automotive Stakeholder Group (GASG), which released the 2026 edition on 1 March 2026. The 2026 update includes substance additions and deletions, revised classifications and thresholds, and structural changes to several groups, including PFAS, PFCA-related compounds, SCCP substances and biocides.
The latest GADSL updates were implemented in IMDS on Friday 11 September 2026, with the affected substances flagged in the system.
What’s New
- GADSL changes are now active in IMDS, so new flags appear on material data sheets from 11 September 2026.
- The 2026 edition revises classifications and thresholds and restructures several groups, including PFAS, PFCA-related compounds, SCCP substances and biocides.
- Suppliers must still answer customer requests for the presence and concentration of GADSL substances in their products.
- List of substances flagged in IMDS from the GADSL update PDF
Key Dates & Timeline
Who and What Is in Scope
Industries: Light duty vehicles · Heavy duty vehicles · Automotive components · Electrical and electronic equipment · Batteries
Who is affected: Tier-1 to tier-n suppliers submitting material data sheets in IMDS; OEM material compliance and purchasing teams; chemical and material suppliers who provide declarable-substance data.
Products and standards in scope: Substances and substance groups in the GADSL Reference List, with reporting reasons and thresholds as shown for each entry, now flagged in IMDS.
Requirements and restrictions: GADSL is a voluntary industry standard, but OEMs require declarations through IMDS. No new legal prohibition arises; declarations follow the reason code and threshold shown for each substance.
What Companies Should Do
- Review the 2026 GADSL Reference List for changed entries and map them to your product and material portfolio.
- Re-check open and recently submitted material data sheets for new flags, and update them where flagged substances are present above threshold.
- Ask upstream suppliers for refreshed composition data on PFAS, PFCA-related, SCCP-related and biocide-containing materials.
- Confirm customer-specific GADSL declaration requirements with your OEM customers.
The 2026 GADSL changes are now live in IMDS. Expect new flags on material data sheet reviews and plan for refreshed composition data on PFAS, chlorinated paraffin and biocide-related materials.
Related: IMDS compliance services | GADSL 2026 update in IMDS
GADSL — Global Automotive Declarable Substance List — https://www.gadsl.org/
IMDS — GADSL update, September 2026 — https://public.mdsystem.com/documents/d/imds-public-pages/gadsl_update_sep2026-pdf
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