you know i never bothered to look into this. I can't find any articles about it being banned because of chemicals. However, i am not trying to say you are wrong. I was always told that Chang Export was simply a lager with a lower alcohol percentage (and it does have less alcohol) in order to comply with certain countries that place a restriction / higher import tax on beverages above a certain threshold. No pressure, but if you have access to an article about the chemical ban, i would love to read it.