WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/JPN/156 
28 November 2005 
 (05-5628) 
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:         
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):   Personal computers 
(including their display units of CRT type or LCD type), Unit-type air conditioners 
(excluding package-type air conditioners), Television sets, Microwave ovens, Clothes 
driers, Electric refrigerators, Electric washing machines, Copying machines 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   The Amendment of 
the “Enforcement Order of the Law for Prom otion of Effective Utilization of Resources 
(Government Ordinance No. 327 published in 1991)” and “Judgment Criteria Concerning 
Reduction of Generation of Used Goods, et c by a Person who Operates a Business 
Manufacturing such Products as written in 4. (Ministerial Ordinance No.62, 63, 66, 67, 68, 
69, and 70 published in 2001)”,  “Judgment Criteria Concerning Promotion of Utilization of 
Recyclable Resources or Reusable Parts by a Person who Operates a Business Manufacturing such Products as written in 4. (Ministerial Ordinance No. 77, 78, 81, 82, 83, 
84, 85, and 86 published in 2001)”. 
6. Description of content:   The following amendments are made to the Government and 
METI Ordinance under the Law for Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources, in order to address the increase of imported products and further promote design for the 
environment. 
(1) To enable the competent minister to give advice or an order to a person who operates a 
business selling items that have been imported by the person, if the minister deems that the reduction of the generation of used go ods, or promotion of the utilization of 
pertaining recyclable resources or reusable part s is substantially insufficient in the light 
of the judgment criteria provided in the Ministerial Ordinances referred to in 5.  
(2) To amend the judgment criteria for a) and b) 
(a) A person who operates a business selling ite ms that have been imported by the 
person will have the following obligations: G/TBT/N/JPN/156 
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 • for the reduction of the generation of used goods: 
• rationalization of use of raw materials, etc 
• promotion of use for long period 
• securing of safety pertaining to repairs, etc 
• securing of opportunities for repair, etc 
• consideration of safety, etc. 
• technology improvement 
• assessment in advance 
• provision of information 
• contrivance of packaging materials, etc 
• for the promotion of the utilization of recyclable resources or reusable parts: 
• contrivance of raw materials 
• contrivance of structure 
• contrivance for sorting 
• securing of safety pertaining to treatment 
• consideration of safety, etc. 
• technology improvement 
• assessment in advance 
• provision of information 
• contrivance of packaging materials, etc. 
(b) A person who operates a business manufactur ing or selling items that have been 
imported by the person will be obliged to  provide information on six specific 
chemical substances for seven types of electrical and electronic equipment. 
• six chemical substances:  
mercury, cadmium, lead, chromium, PBB and PBDE  
• seven types of electrical and electronic equipment: 
Personal computers (including their displa y units of CRT type or LCD type), 
Unit-type air conditioners (excluding package-type ai r conditioners), Television 
sets, Microwave ovens, Clothes driers, Electric refrigerators, Electric washing 
machines 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:   In 
order to undertake proper classification and control of the materials of electrical and 
electronic equipment which are in the process of being recycled or reused, it is necessary to 
designate specific chemical substances, ma nage them and provide information on them. 
This will contribute to more eff ective utilization of resources. 
8. Relevant documents:   The basic law is the Law for th e Promotion of Effective Utilization 
of Resources.  When adopted, the amendmen t will appear in the Official Government 
Gazette, “ KAMPO ” 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    February 2006 
1 July 2006 
10. Final date for comments:   30 January 2006  G/TBT/N/JPN/156 
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 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 (METI) 
Recycling Promotion  Division 1-3-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku 
Tokyo 100-8986, Japan 
Tel: (+81 3) 3581 4978 
Fax: (+81 3) 3581 9489 
E-mail:  gpc@meti.go.jp