G/TBT/N/JPN/779  
26 July 2023  
(23-5099) 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 Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)  
Ministry of the Environment (MOE)  
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 from 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):  The 
following mercury -using products  
1. Strain gauges to be used in plethysmographs  
2. Mercury vacuum pumps  
3. Tyre balancers and wheel weights  
4. Photographic film and paper  
5. Propellant for satellites and spacecraft  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Revision of the 
"Enforcement Order of the Act on Preventing Mercury Pollution of the Environment"; (1 
page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Based on Article 2 of the Act on Preventing Mercury Pollution 
of the Environment, the following will be designated as specified mercury -using products 
whose manufacture is particularly in need of regulation. Their usage as components in 
the manufacture of other products will also be restr icted.  
1. Strain gauges to be used in plethysmographs  
2. Mercury vacuum pumps  
3. Tyre balancers and wheel weights  
4. Photographic film and paper  
5. Propellant for satellites and spacecraft  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problem s where 
applicable:  To prevent environmental mercury pollution, five additional products will be 
designated as "specified mercury -using products" under the Act. This revision is based on G/TBT/N/JPN/779  
 
- 2 - 
 
  the decisions at the Fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata 
Convention on Mercury (COP -4) -Second segment in 2022. ; Protection of the 
environment  
8. Relevant documents:   
- Act on Preventing Mercury Pollution of the Environment (Act No. 42 of June 19, 2015)  
https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/3232  
- Enforcement Order of the Act on Preventing Mercury Pollution of the Environment  
(Cabinet Order No. 378 of November 11, 2015)  
https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/4280  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  October 2023  
Proposed date of entry into force:  January 2025  
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:   
International Trade Division  
Economic Affairs Bureau  
Ministry of Foreign Affairs  
2-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda -ku 
Tokyo 100 -8919, Japan  
Tel.: + (81) 3 5501 8344  
Fax: + (81) 3 5501 8343  
E-mail: enquiry@mofa.go.jp  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2023/TBT/JPN/23_11299_00_e.pd f