. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/JPN/186 
6 November 2006 
 (06-5339) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   JAPAN
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:    
Japan Enquiry Point 
International Trade Division Economic Affairs Bureau  
Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
Fax: (+81) 3 5501 8343 E-mail:  enquiry@mofa.go.jp 
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):   Gas oil 
(HS: 2710.11.159, 2710.19.159) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Revision of the 
Regulation of the Quality Control of Gas oil (2 pages, in English). 
6. Description of content:   Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will revise the 
regulation of the quality control of gas oil.  The outline of this amendment is to set 
maximum permissible BDF (Bio Diesel Fuels (especially, Fatty Acid Methyl Ester 
(FAME)) contents in gas oil (See below chart) .  We will enforce this revision in March 
2007 (Gas oil). 
Regulatory Item BDG-Blended Diesel OilDiesel Oil 
(BDF is not mixed) 
Sulfur Content 0.005 mass % or less 0.005 mass % or less 
Cetane Index 45 or more 45 or more Existing 
items 
Distillation Temperature 90% 360ºC or less 360ºC or less 
FAME Content 5.0 mass % or less 0.1 mass % or less 
Triglyceride Content 0.01 mass % or less 0.1 mass % or less 
Methanol Content 0.1 mass % or less - 
Total Acid Number (TAN) 0.13 mgKOH/g or less - 
Formic Acid, Acetric Acid 
and Propionic Acid 0.003 mass % or less in 
total - Additional 
Items 
Oxidation Stability (Acid 
Value Growth) 0.12 mgKOH/g or less - 
 G/TBT/N/JPN/186 
Page 2  
 
  7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
To regulate the quality of BDF-blended gas oils  to ensure that these are not harmful from 
safety and environmental perspectives. 
8. Relevant documents:   The basic law is the Law on the Quality Control of Gasoline and 
Other Fuels. This revision will appear in “KAMPO” (Official Government Gazette) when 
adopted. 
9. Proposed date of adoption:  January  2007 
Proposed date of entry into force:   End March 2007 
10. Final date for comments:   60 days from date of circulation 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:   
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry 
Petroleum Distribution and Retail Division 1-3-1 Kasumigaseki 
Chiyoda-ku 
Tokyo 100-8986 JAPAN  Tel: +81-3-3501-1320 Fax: +81-3-3501-1837 
 
Email: sekiyuryutu-hp@meti.go.jp