G/SPS/N/JPN/608  
 
19 December 2018  
(18-8030) 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)  
 Animal originated products (HS Code: 05.04)  
 Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers (HS Codes: 07.01, 07.02, 07.04, 
07.05, 07.06, 07.07, 07.09, 07.10 and 07.14)  
 Edible fruit and nuts, peel of melons (HS Codes: 08.07, 08.10, 08.11 and 08.14)  
 Mate and spices (HS Codes: 09.03, 09.04, 09.05, 09.06, 09.07, 09.08, 09.09 and 
09.10)  
 Animal 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 (Revi sion of agricultural chemical 
residue standards) . Language(s): English.  Number of pages: 3 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2018/SPS/JPN/18_6522_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content: Proposed maximum residue limits (MRLs) for the following 
agricultural chemical:  
Pesticide: Fluensulfone.  
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 tex t): Pesticide Residues in Food and feed - pesticide Index 
- 265 - Fluensulfone  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  G/SPS/N/JPN/608  
 
- 2 - 
 
  [ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  
Water melon  
The portion of commodities to which  MRLs apply and which are analyzed are different 
from that of Codex for some commodities such as water melon. The portion of the 
commodity to which is analyzed in Japan is "edible portions after removal of inedible 
peel", while that of Codex is "whole comm odity after removal of stems". As such, Japan 
proposes MRL in water melon (0.2 ppm) based on the residue data from supervised trials 
which were conducted according to the Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) in Japan, 
instead of Codex MRL.  
Dried pepper  
The M RL of 0.7 ppm in other solanaceous vegetables has been set on the basis of the 
Codex MRL. MRLs in raw agricultural commodities apply to their processed commodities 
(including dried pepper) taking into account the processing factors (the JMPR estimated 
the processing factor of 10 for dried pepper). Therefore, Japan decided not to set MRL in 
dried pepper.  
Tomato, dried and tomato paste  
The MRL of 1 ppm in tomato has been set on the basis of the residue data from domestic 
supervised residue trials. MRLs in raw  agricultural commodities apply to their processed 
commodities (including tomato, dried and tomato paste) taking into account the 
processing factors (the JMPR estimated the processing factor of 1.8 for tomato, dried and 
tomato paste). Therefore, Japan deci ded not to set MRLs in tomato, dried and tomato 
paste.  
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) : 17 February 2019 . Comments only to updated MRLs 
(marked with 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: +(81 3) 5501 8343  
E-mail: enquiry@mofa.go.jp