G/TBT/N/JPN/651  
22 January 2020  
(20-0574) 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)  
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 [   ], other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Steel or 
Aluminium beverage cans (HS codes: 7310.29, 7612.90) Polyethylene terephthalate 
beverage or specified sau ce containers (HS codes: 3923.30)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  (1) Ministerial 
Ordinance on Standards for Labeling of the Steel or Aluminium beverage cans (2) 
Ministerial Ordinance on Standards for Labeling of the Po lyethylene terephthalate 
beverage or specified sauce containers (3 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Act on the Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources 
requires manufacturers to include specific marks indicating waste separation prac tices on 
specified products in order to promote the use of recyclable resources. In regard to steel 
or aluminum beverage cans and polyethylene terephthalate beverage or specified sauce 
containers, a significant amount of time has passed since the original enactment of the 
ministerial ordinances and waste separation practices. Therefore, the following 
amendments will be made to a) enable manufacturers to secure label space and b) 
promote further efforts to reduce the amount of waste and to encourage recyclin g of 
materials. Meanwhile, the size of required food labeling has been reduced because smaller 
beverage containers have become popular and the required amount of food safety 
information which must be displayed has increased.  
(1) Reduce the minimum size of the required printed or affixed indication marks for steel 
or aluminum beverage cans and polyethylene terephthalate beverage or specified sauce 
containers.  
(2) With regard to polyethylene terephthalate beverage or specific sauce containers, 
printed or affixed indication marks for individual containers (excluding engraved indication 
marks to which no amendments have been made) can be omitted when exterior 
containers and packaging display the required marks.  
7. Objec tive and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  To promote recycling and the use of recyclable resources.; Other  G/TBT/N/JPN/651  
 
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  8. Relevant documents:   
http://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/law/detail/?printID=&id=80&r e=01&vm=02  
(in English)  
https://search.kudan.hq.admix.go.jp/search/elaws_search/lsg0500/detail?lawId=403M5
0000640001&openerCode=1#16  (in Japanese)  
https://search.kudan.hq.admix.go.jp/search/elaws_search/lsg0500/detail?lawId=405M5
0000640001&openerCode=1  (in Japanes e) 
https://search.kudan.hq.admix.go.jp/search/elaws_search/lsg0500/detail?openerCode=
1&lawId=420M60000600001_20170401_428M60000600002  (in Japanese)  
https://www.meti.go.jp/shingikai/sankoshin/sangyo_gijutsu/haikibutsu_recycle/yoki_wg
/pdf/025_03_00.pdf  (in Japanese)  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  Around March of 2020  
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 April 2020 ; (Current required printed or affixed 
indication marks continue to be valid.)  
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/2020/TBT/JPN/20_0575_00_e.pdf