Ingredient Index

Is Thiamethoxam banned in Europe?

Banned in EU

Yes. Thiamethoxam, a neonicotinoid, lost its EU approval after the bloc banned its outdoor use in 2018 and did not renew it. The US still registers it, notably as the Cruiser seed treatment.

CAS: 153719-23-4 Also seen as: Thiamethoxam, Cruiser, Actara

What the EU does

Banned. Thiamethoxam is one of the three neonicotinoids whose outdoor use the EU prohibited in 2018 over harm to bees, and its approval was not renewed afterward, so it is no longer an approved plant protection substance in the EU.

The EU went a step further on trade. Regulation (EU) 2023/334 lowered the maximum residue levels for thiamethoxam and clothianidin to the limit of detection, a move that applies to imported food as well and takes effect in 2026. The reasoning reaches beyond EU borders to environmental harm caused by production elsewhere.

Citation EU outdoor-use ban (2018) and subsequent non-renewal; Regulation (EU) 2023/334 (MRLs to the limit of determination)

What the US does

Registered. Thiamethoxam remains an EPA-registered insecticide in the US, best known as Syngenta's Cruiser seed treatment and the foliar product Actara, used across major field and specialty crops. It is part of the neonicotinoid class the EPA is reviewing but has not removed.

So a seed-and-soil insecticide the EU judged unacceptable for outdoor use, and then declined to tolerate even as an import residue, stays in routine US agricultural use.

Citation US EPA registered (Cruiser, Actara); EPA neonicotinoid registration review (ongoing); 40 CFR 180.565

Products that commonly contain it

Thiamethoxam is relevant mainly as:

A seed treatment (Cruiser) on US corn, soy, and other field crops
A foliar insecticide (Actara) on fruits and vegetables
A residue on some imported produce, now cut to the detection limit in the EU

What to look for on a label

As a crop input, thiamethoxam is not a food-label ingredient:

Buying organic avoids synthetic neonicotinoid seed and spray treatments
Washing reduces surface residue but not what a seed treatment moves into the plant
In the EU, residue-monitoring reports are the place to check

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Frequently asked questions

Is thiamethoxam banned in Europe?

Yes. The EU banned its outdoor use in 2018 and did not renew its approval, so it is no longer approved for use in the EU.

What changed for imports?

Regulation (EU) 2023/334 cut maximum residue levels for thiamethoxam to the limit of detection, applying to imported food from 2026.

Is it still used in the US?

Yes. It is widely registered, including as the Cruiser seed treatment and Actara, across many crops.

Related ingredients

Primary sources

Last reviewed October 1, 2026 · How we assign statuses