G/SPS/N/JPN/563  
 
12 February 2018  
(18-0922) 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 aquatic invertebrates (HS  Codes: 03.02, 
03.03 and 03.04)  
 Dairy produce and birds' eggs (HS  Codes: 04.01, 04.0 7 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 spices (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 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: 11 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2018/SPS/JPN/18_0828_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content: The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (MHLW) 
intends to withdraw all the maximum residue limits (MRLs ) for the following five 
agricultural chemicals due to lack of data. The five agricultural chemicals are not 
registered or approved in Japan, and/or do not have any Codex MRLs. Some countries set 
MRLs for some of these chemicals, but the MHLW could not con firm sufficient data for risk 
assessment and MRL setting. Those MRLs were provisionally set over ten years ago, and it 
is difficult to maintain those MRLs anymore unless sufficient data for risk assessment and 
MRL setting are provided. Therefore the MHLW h as decided to delete all the MRLs for the 
five substances.  
Those substances have not been detected in any imported foods in Japan for the last five G/SPS/N/JPN/563  
 
- 2 - 
 
  years according 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.  
Pesticide: Fentin, Flucarbazone sodium, Hydramethylnon, Propazine.  
Veterinary drug: Oleandomycin.  
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:  
[ ] 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, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are av ailable: 
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) : 13 April 2018 . Comments only to updated MRLs 
(marked with black circle s 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: +(81 3) 5501 8343  
E-mail: enquiry@mofa.go.jp