It also covers second-hand goods and recycled goods. More specific to the agriculture industry, the new law does not cover unprocessed foods. Therefore, the seller of raw fruits, vegetables, and grains may not be liable under the new law. However, the mere application of chemicals does not equate to processing. The new law applies to a wide range of businesses involved in the production, manufacture and distribution of a product.
Actual manufacturers are liable under the law, as are importers.
The law also covers persons who appear to the consumer to be the manufacturer. Even with these changes, it is probably safe to say that product liability laws in the U.S. are still more stringent. Therefore, it may be useful to bring a U.S. perspective to bear when dealing with the new Japanese laws. Manufacturing safe products is still the best way to avoid any liability under the new law. While Japanese distributors and consumers have always been extremely quality conscious, this new law may cause an increased interest on the part of Japanese distributor's in their U.S. manufacturers' quality assurance programs.