Ingredient Index

Is S-Metolachlor banned in Europe?

Banned in EU

Yes. The EU did not renew s-metolachlor in 2024 after its breakdown products kept turning up in groundwater. The US registers it as one of its biggest corn and soybean herbicides.

CAS: 87392-12-9 Also seen as: S-Metolachlor, Dual Magnum

What the EU does

Banned by non-renewal. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/20 declined to renew the approval of s-metolachlor, so it is no longer an approved plant protection substance in the EU. The decisive issue was its metabolites, which were found in groundwater above the regulatory limit across member states.

France had already moved to pull most s-metolachlor uses ahead of the EU decision, citing the same groundwater problem. Once the EU approval lapsed, the substance left European fields entirely.

Citation Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/20 (non-renewal of S-metolachlor); Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009

What the US does

Registered and major. S-metolachlor is one of the most widely used herbicides in the US, sold by Syngenta as Dual Magnum and Dual II Magnum and applied across enormous corn and soybean acreage to control grasses and some broadleaf weeds.

The same groundwater-metabolite questions that ended its EU approval are known to US regulators, but the substance remains fully registered and in heavy use, a clear transatlantic split on a high-volume farm chemical.

Citation US EPA registered (Dual Magnum, Dual II Magnum); 40 CFR 180.368 (metolachlor and S-metolachlor tolerances)

Products that commonly contain it

S-metolachlor is relevant mainly as:

A pre-emergence herbicide on US corn, soybeans, and other crops
A frequent detection in groundwater and surface water in farm regions
A residue consideration on some imported commodities

What to look for on a label

S-metolachlor is a field herbicide, not a food-label ingredient:

Choosing organic grain and bean products avoids synthetic herbicide treatment
Water utilities in corn and soy regions monitor for its metabolites
In the EU, it is no longer an approved input

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Frequently asked questions

Is s-metolachlor banned in Europe?

Yes. The EU did not renew its approval under Regulation (EU) 2024/20, so it can no longer be used on EU crops.

Why was it not renewed?

Its breakdown products were repeatedly found in groundwater above the regulatory limit across member states.

Is it still used in the US?

Yes, heavily, as Dual Magnum on corn and soybeans. It is among the highest-volume US herbicides.

Related ingredients

Primary sources

Last reviewed October 1, 2026 · How we assign statuses