G/TBT/N/JPN/762  
26 January 2023  
(23-0638) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  JAPAN  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:   
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF)  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different fro m above:   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [  ], 5.7.1 [  ], 3.2 [  ], 7.2 [  ], 
other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Co-
formulants (non -active substance used in agricultural chemicals)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Draft Ministerial 
Order Establishing Cases Defined by Ministerial Order of the Ministry of Agriculture, 
Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of the Environment under Article 4, Paragraph (1), 
Item (xi) of the Agricultural Chemicals Regulation Act; (5 page(s), in Japanese)  
6. Description of content:  Co-formulants are used together with active substances in 
agricultural chemicals to stabilize effects of the active substances. To date, there has been 
no independent regulation on co -formulants, although their safety has been confirmed 
through acute toxicity studies with formulations of agricultural chemicals co ntaining co -
formulants.  
In accordance with the report of the Agricultural Chemicals Committee of the Agricultural 
Materials Council at its thirty -first meeting on June 22nd, 2022 as to the phasing out of 
certain substances used as co -formulants in order to  enhance safety of agricultural 
chemicals, the proposed Ministerial Order will prohibit the registration of agricultural 
chemicals containing more than 0.1% w/w of any of the following 33 substances (counted 
on the CAS number basis), application for which is submitted after October 1st, 2023: 
acrylamide (CAS no. 79 -06-1), amosite (12172 -73-5), benzene (71 -43-2), 
benzo[a]pyrene (50 -32-8), 1,3 -butadiene (106 -99-0), chrysotile (12001 -29-5), 
crocidolite (12001 -28-4), dibutyl phthalate (84 -74-2), 1,2 -dichloroeth ane (107 -06-2), 
diisobutyl phthalate (84 -69-5), N,N-dimethylformamide (68 -12-2), disodium octaborate 
tetrahydrate (12280 -03-4), epichlorohydrin (106 -89-8), ethoxylated tallow alkylamines 
(61791 -26-2), ethylene glycol monoethyl ether (110 -80-5), ethylene gl ycol monoethyl 
ether acetate (111 -15-9), ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (109 -86-4), ethylene glycol 
monomethyl ether acetate (110 -49-6), ethylene oxide (75 -21-8), 1-ethylpyrrolidin -2-one 
(2687 -91-4), formaldehyde (50 -00-0), formamide (75 -12-7), hydrotrea ted heavy 
naphthenic distillates (petroleum) (64742 -52-5), hydrotreated neutral oil -based 
lubricating oils (petroleum) (64741 -88-4, 72623 -86-0 and 72623 -87-1), N-
methylformamide (123 -39-7), nitrobenzene (98 -95-3), 2 -nitropropane (79 -46-9), G/TBT/N/JPN/762  
 
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  quinoline (91 -22-5), sodium tetraborate (1330 -43-4), sodium tetraborate decahydrate 
(1303 -96-4) and sodium tetraborate pentahydrate (12179 -04-3). 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection of human health or safety; Protection of animal or plant life or 
health; Protection of the environment  
8. Relevant documents:   
These amendments are to be publicised in "KAMPO" (Official Government Gazette) when 
adopted (available in Japanese).  
Agricultural Chemicals Regulat ion Act is available from the URL:  
https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/ja/laws/view/3507  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  April 2023  
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 October 2023  
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
Japan TBT Enquiry Point  
International Trade Division  
Economic Affairs Bureau  
Ministry of Foreign Affairs  
Fax: (+81 3) 5501 8343  
E-mail: enquiry@mofa.go.jp  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2023/TBT/JPN/23_0696_00_x.pdf