G/SPS/N/JPN/565  
 
20 February 2018  
(18-1090) 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)  
 Dairy produce and birds' eggs (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 and 08.11)  
 Coffee, tea, mate and spices (HS  Codes: 09.01, 09.02 and 09.03)  
 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)  
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 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: 4 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2018/SPS/JPN/18_1023_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content: Proposed maximum residue limits (MRLs) for the following 
agricultural chemical:  
Pesticide: Propiconazole.  
Propiconazole is used as a fungicide during productio n of crops, and it is also used for 
post-harvest treatment on citrus fruits and stone fruits. Post -harvest pesticides, which are 
used to prevent mold from getting on harvested crops, are regulated as food additives in 
Japan. The Food Sanitation Act defines  food additives as substances which are used by 
being added, mixed or infiltrated into food or by other methods in the process of producing 
food or for the purpose of processing or preserving food. Propiconazole is not currently 
permitted to use for post -harvest treatment. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of 
Japan (MHLW) has decided to newly designate Propiconazole as a food additive, and to set 
the use standard for citrus fruits (excluding unshu orange), peach, nectarine, apricot, 
Japanese plum a nd cherry on the basis of scientific data provided by an applicant. Along 
with this, the MHLW has decided to establish maximum residue limits (MRLs) for G/SPS/N/JPN/565  
 
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  Propiconazole on these commodities so that their Propiconazole residue concentrations will 
not exceed t he MRLs if the pesticide is used properly according to the use standards. 
The MHLW is also going to revise MRLs in several commodities on the basis of the scientific 
data such as supervised residue trials conducted by Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). 
When setting the MRLs, the MHLW confirmed that the estimated long -term and short -term 
dietary exposures to Propiconazole do not exceed an ADI of 0.019 mg/kg bw and an ARfD 
of 0.3 mg/kg bw, respectively, which were set by the Food Safety Commission of Japan.  
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.  
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 
–160– Propiconazole  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrest rial 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 poss ible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard: Please refer to item 6.  
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 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 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) : 21 April 2018 . Comments only to updated MRLs 
(marked with black circles and white circles in attached annexes).  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] Natio nal 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 addre ss (if available) of other body:   
Japan Enquiry Point  
International Trade Division Economic Affairs Bureau Ministry of Foreign Affairs  
Fax: +(81 3) 5501 8343  
E-mail: enquiry@mofa.go.jp