G/SPS/N/JPN/784  
 
19 October 2020  
(20-7179) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  JAPAN  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW)  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):   
− Meat and edible meat offal (HS: 02.01, 02.02, 02.03, 02.04, 02.05, 02.06, 02.07, 
02.08 and 02.09)  
− Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic in vertebrates (HS: 03.02, 
03.03, 03.04, 03.06, 03.07 and 03.08)  
− Dairy produce and birds' eggs (HS: 04.01, 04.07 and 04.08)  
− Animal originated products (HS: 05.04)  
− Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers (HS: 07.01, 07.02, 07.03, 07.04, 
07.05, 07.06,  07.07, 07.08, 07.09, 07.10, 07.13 and 07.14)  
− Edible fruit, nuts and peel of citrus fruit (HS: 08.01, 08.02, 08.03, 08.04, 08.05, 
08.06, 08.07, 08.08, 08.09, 08.10, 08.11 and 08.14)  
− Coffee, tea, mate and spices (HS: 09.01, 09.02, 09.03, 09.04, 09.05, 09. 06, 
09.07, 09.08, 09.09 and 09.10)  
− Cereals (HS: 10.01, 10.02, 10.03, 10.04, 10.05, 10.06, 10.07 and 10.08)  
− Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits, miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruit (HS: 12.01, 
12.02, 12.05, 12.06, 12.07, 12.10 and 12.12)  
− Animal fats and oil s (HS: 15.01, 15.02 and 15.06)  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Revision of the Specifications and Standards for Foods, 
Food Additives, Etc. under the Food Sanitation Act (revision of agricultural chemical 
residue standards) . Language(s):  English . Number of pages:  6 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/JPN/20_6205_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  Proposed maximum residue limits (MRLs) for the following 
agricultural chemical  
Pesticide: Azoxystrobin  
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [  ] animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect  territory from 
other damage from pests.   G/SPS/N/JPN/784  
 
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  8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) : 
− Pesticide Residues in Food and feed - Pesticide Index - 229 - Azoxystrobin  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes   [X] No  
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  Japan maintains MRLs in citrus natsudaidai (whole), lemon, 
orange (including navel orange), grapefruit, lime and other citrus fruits (10ppm) because 
the current Codex MRL (15ppm) accommodates post -harvest treatment. Post -harvest use 
of fungicide needs specific permission in Japan and the use of Azoxystrobin under which 
the MRL of 1 5 ppm is derived is not permitted yet.  
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Food 
Sanitation Act (Available in English). When adopted, these MRLs are to be published in 
Kampo (Official Government Gazette) (Available in Japanese).   
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : As soon as possible after the final date for 
the comment p eriod.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : As soon as possible after the final date 
for the comment period.  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : These proposed standards will take effect a fter a certain period 
of grace.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 18 December 2020 - Comments only to updated 
MRLs (marked with black circles and white circles in attached annexes)  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:   
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
Japan Enquiry Point  
International Trade Division  
Economic Affairs Bureau  
Ministry of Foreign Affairs  
Fax: +(813) 5501 8343  
E-mail: enquiry@mofa.go.jp