. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/JPN/220 
17 September 2007 
 (07-3873) 
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):   Consumer Products; 
Covered products will be designated in th e cabinet order under the Consumer Product 
Safety Law. Instantaneous gas water heater (V ented-type and Indoor-type), Bath boiler with 
gas burner (Indoor-type), Oil-fired boiler, Oil-fi red bath boiler, Oil burning warm air heater 
(forced flue type), Dishwasher with dryer (Bu ilt-in type), Bathroom heater with a function 
of ventilation and drying are currently be ing considered as the designated products. 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Revision of the 
Consumer Product Safety Law (2 pages, in English). 
6. Description of content:   Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will revise the 
Consumer Product Safety Law. The outline of this amendment is to establish maintenance 
system by which manufactures and importers provide the information for maintenance of 
consumer products to consumer and accept th e request for inspection from consumer for 
consumer products which have a high probability of causing serious accidents such as fire, 
gas explosion or carbon monoxide poisoning and are difficult to be inspected and 
maintained by consumer without technical knowledge. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
To maintain and improve the safety of cons umers by preventing accidents associated with 
consumer products which have been already distri buted in the market, it is necessary to take 
safety measures especially for products which have high probability of serious accidents 
due to age degradation and are difficult to be inspected and maintained by consumers 
without technical knowledge. G/TBT/N/JPN/220 
Page 2  
 
  8. Relevant documents:   The Consumer Product Safety La w, and the cabinet order under the 
law. These revisions will appear in “KAM PO” (Official Government Gazette) when 
adopted. 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    October  2007 
After April 2008 
(The cabinet order which designate covered 
products will be adopted in February 2008 and 
will be entered into force at the same timing with the law amendment.) 
10. Final date for comments:   12 October 2007 
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: +81-3-3501-1511 Fax: +81-3-3501-6201 Email: qqjcbbe@meti.go.jp