ASEA issues emergency regulation for the transport of liquefied gas

The National Agency for Industrial Safety and Environmental Protection of the Hydrocarbons Sector (ASEA) issued the Emergency Official Mexican Standard NOM-EM-008-ASEA-2026, Transport of Liquefied Petroleum Gas by Tank Truck and Semi-trailer. The instrument was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation on Friday, October 2, 2026, number 269/2026, within the section of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, and comes into force on October 6, 2026, with a validity of six months.

Background and scope of the regulation

The standard practically replaces NOM-EM-006-ASEA-2025, published on October 3, 2025, and extended for six months via a notice dated April 1, 2026. ASEA argued that the final project —PROY-NOM-029-ASEA-2026, approved on April 8, 2026, by the National Advisory Committee for Industrial and Operational Safety Standardization and Environmental Protection of the Hydrocarbons Sector (CONASEA)— still needs to finalize the responses to the public consultation comments; therefore, a transitional regulatory framework is required to prevent the transport of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from operating without risk controls.

The document, signed on September 9, 2026, by executive director Andrea González Hernández, applies throughout the national territory and is of general and mandatory observance for those transporting LPG from the loading transfer point in a regulated facility to the unloading point in another, both in tank trucks and tractor-semi-trailers.

Obligations for carriers

• Obtain an operation start report for each new or used unit, before the first LPG load, issued by an inspection unit accredited and approved by ASEA; its validity is one year.
• Obtain an annual operation and maintenance report, starting from the first year of operation.
• Compile and maintain an integrity file per unit, available to the Agency.
• Carry on board a type “E” federal license, operation start permit and authorization, circulation card, daily visual inspection checklist, LPG emergency sheet, current insurance policy, and a copy of the applicable report.
• Install a speed governor that restricts travel to a maximum of 80 km/h, with a document certifying its installation.
• Equip each unit with a fire extinguisher of at least 9 kg of ABC-type dry chemical powder, static tape, reflective signs, a handheld flashlight, two wheel chocks, and a tire pressure gauge.

Testing, mechanical integrity, and training

The inspection and testing program requires an annual external visual inspection and leak test, a hydrostatic test every 10 years from the date of manufacture, and thickness evaluation via ultrasonic measurement at 10 years and every 5 years thereafter. Units with used non-removable vessels must certify accessories such as maximum fill valves, excess flow valves, non-return valves, pressure relief valves, pressure gauges, thermometers, spark arrestors, and baffles.

Regarding personnel, semi-trailer operators must hold a current labor competence certificate for Competence Standard EC1731, issued by the National Council for Normalization and Certification of Labor Competencies (CONOCER), in addition to DC3 certificates issued by external training agents registered with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare. Those who do not possess these documents will not be permitted to operate LPG transport units.

Compliance and Verification Deadlines

The transitional provisions establish a period of 90 calendar days for regulated entities already in operation that lack a current operation and maintenance report to obtain one. Units whose vessels are 50 years old or older will be subject to the full validity of the standard to perform the hydrostatic test; for those under 50 years, this test will not be required during this period. Inspection units accredited for NOM-007-SESH-2010 may evaluate conformity with the new standard.

Verification of compliance is the responsibility of ASEA, in coordination with federal, state, and municipal authorities for traffic, mobility, civil protection, and public order. Non-compliance will be sanctioned in accordance with the Quality Infrastructure Law.

The standard reaches a critical link in the LP gas distribution chain: road transport. By conditioning operation on current reports, integrity tests, and certified training, ASEA seeks to reduce leaks, fires, and explosions associated with mechanical failures and inadequate driving practices, with direct effects on carriers, distributors, and end users over the next six months.

Source: Official Gazette of the Federation, No. 269/2026, October 2, 2026, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, p. 26 (official reference: NOM-EM-008-ASEA-2026).