G/SPS/N/JPN/529  
 
7 August 2017  
(17-4271) 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  Codes: 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 aq uatic invertebrates (HS  Codes: 03.02, 
03.03, 03.04, 03.06 and 03.07)  
 Dairy produce, birds' eggs and natural honey (HS  Codes: 04.01, 04.07 and 04.08)  
 Products of animal origin (HS  Code: 05.04)  
 Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers (HS  Codes: 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 fruits and nuts, peel of citrus/melons (HS  Codes: 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 spic es (HS  Codes: 09.01, 09.02, 09.03, 09.04, 09.05, 09.06, 
09.07, 09.08, 09.09 and 09.10)  
 Cereals (HS  Codes: 10.01, 10.02, 10.03, 10.04, 10.05, 10.06, 10.07 and 10.08)  
 Oleaginous fruits, miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruits (HS  Codes: 12.01, 12.02, 
12.04,  12.05, 12.06, 12.07, 12.10 and 12.12)  
 Animal or vegetable fats and oils (HS Codes: 15.01, 15.02 and 15.06)  
 Cacao and cacao preparations (HS  Code: 18.01)  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All tradin g partners  
[ ] Specific regions or countries:  
5. Title of the notified document: Revision of the Standards and Specifications for Foods 
and Food Additives under the Food Sanitation Act (revision of agricultural chemical 
residue standards).  Language(s): English . Number of pages: 92 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2017/SPS/JPN/17_3526_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content: The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (MHLW) 
will withdraw all the maximum residue limits (MRLs) for the following 56 agricultural 
chemicals due to lack of data. The 56 agricultural chemicals are not registered or 
approved in Japan, and/or do not have any Codex MRLs. Some coun tries set MRLs for 
some of these chemicals, but the MHLW could not confirm sufficient data for risk 
assessment and MRL setting. Those MRLs were provisionally set without full risk 
assessment over ten years ago, and it is difficult to maintain those MRLs an ymore unless 
sufficient data for risk assessment and MRL setting are provided. Therefore the MHLW 
has decided to delete all the MRLs for the 56 substances.  
Those substances have not been detected in any imported foods in Japan for the last 
five years accor ding to monitoring data on agricultural chemicals residue conducted by 
the MHLW. Japan is of the view that the deletion of the MRLs is unlikely to have negative 
impact on the current international trade.  G/SPS/N/JPN/529  
 
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  Pesticide s: 2-(1-Naphthyl)acetamide, 2,2 -DPA, Bensul ide, Butroxydim, Carbetamide, 
Carbonyl sulphide, Chloroneb, Clodinafop acid, Cycloate, Endothal, Florasulam, 
Flupropanate, Furathiocarb, Imazamethabenz methyl ester, Metosulam, Naphthalophos, 
Oxabetrinil, Oxycarboxin, Pebulate, Phosphamidon, Pyrithiobac -sodium, Sec -Butylamine, 
Tebuthiuron, Terbutryn, Tolyfloxysulfuron  
Pesticide/Veterinary drug s: Azamethiphos, Phenothrin, Tetrachlorvinphos  
Veterinary drugs: Aliphatic alcohol ethoxylates, Aspoxicillin, Baquiloprim, Buquinolate, 
Cefacetrile, Famphur, Fenprosta lene, Haloxon, Kitasamycin, Laidlomycin, 
Methylbenzoquate(Nequinate), Metoserpate hydrochloride, Novobiocin, Oxacillin, 
Polymyxine B, Sulfabenzamide, Sulfabromomethazine sodium, Sulfacetamide, 
Sulfaethoxypyridazine, Sulfaguanidine, Sulfamerazine, Sulfameth oxypyridazine, 
Sulfanilamide, Sulfanitran, Sulfapyridine, Sulfatroxazole, Temephos, Tripelennamine  
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [  ] animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect terr itory from 
other damage from pests.  
8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[X] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
[ ] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, des cribe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  
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 period.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : As soon as possible after the final date 
for the com ment 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 after 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) : 6 October 2017  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if avail able) 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 Bur eau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs  
Fax: +(81 3) 5501 8343  
E-mail: enquiry@mofa.go.jp