G/SPS/N/JPN/1427

28 August 2026

(26-5985)

Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures

Original: English

1.

Notifying Member: JAPAN

If applicable, name of local government involved:

2.

Agency responsible: Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA)

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)

• Aquatic animals and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates (HS codes: 03.02, 03.03, 03.04, 03.06, 03.07 and 03.08)

• Dairy produce, birds' eggs and natural honey (HS codes: 04.01, 04.07, 04.08 and 04.09)

• Animal originated products (HS code: 05.04)

• Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers (HS codes: 07.01, 07.02, 07.03, 07.04, 07.05, 07.06, 07.07, 07.08, 07.09, 07.10, 07.13 and 07.14)

• Edible fruit and nuts, peel of citrus fruit (HS codes: 08.01, 08.02, 08.03, 08.04, 08.05, 08.06, 08.07, 08.08, 08.09, 08.10, 08.11 and 08.14)

• Coffee, tea, mate and spices (HS codes: 09.01, 09.02, 09.03, 09.04, 09.05, 09.06, 09.07, 09.08, 09.09 and 09.10)

• Cereals (HS codes: 10.01, 10.02, 10.03, 10.04, 10.05, 10.06, 10.07 and 10.08)

• Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits, miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruit (HS codes: 12.01, 12.02, 12.04, 12.05, 12.06, 12.07, 12.10 and 12.12)

• Animal fats and oils (HS codes: 15.01, 15.02 and 15.06)

• Cacao and cacao preparations (HS code: 18.01)

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 Specifications and Standards for Foods, Food Additives, Etc. under the Food Sanitation Act (Revision of agricultural chemical residue standards). Language(s): English. Number of pages: 6

https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2026/SPS/JPN/26_04463_00_e.pdf

6.

Description of content: Proposal of maximum residue limits (MRLs) for the following agricultural chemical:

Pesticide /Veterinary drug: Imidacloprid.

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 text): Pesticide/Veterinary drug Residues in Food and feed – Pesticide/Veterinary drug Index – 206 – Imidacloprid

[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic Animal Health Code, chapter number):

[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number):

[ ] None

Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?

[ ] Yes   [X] No

If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the international standard: Barley; Rye; Corn (maize, including pop corn and sweet corn); Buckwheat; Soybeans, dried; Peanuts, dried; Potato; Taro; Sweet potato; Japanese yam (including Chinese yam); Konjac; Other Potatoes; Sugar beet; Japanese radish, roots (including radish); Japanese radish, leaves (including radish); Turnip, roots (including rutabaga); Horseradish; Kale; Burdock; Salsify; Onion; Carrot; Parsnip; Celery; Pumpkin (including squash); Oriental pickling melon (vegetable); MAKUWAURI melon (whole commodity after removal of stems.); Okra; Peas, immature (with pods); Citrus NATSUDAIDAI, whole; Lemon; Grapefruit; Lime; Japanese pear; Pear; Peach (whole commodity after removal of stems and stones but the residue calculated and expressed on the whole commodity without stems.); Mume plum; Cherry; Strawberry; Raspberry; Blackberry; Blueberry; Cranberry; Huckleberry; Other berries; Banana; Other Fruits; Sunflower seeds; Safflower seeds; Rapeseeds; Coffee beans; Tea; Hop; Other herbs:

The draft MRLs for imidacloprid on or in these commodities are different from the CXLs because there is a difference in the residue definition for agricultural products between Japan and the CAC. The residue definition for the pesticide is imidacloprid only in Japan since its metabolites containing 6-chloropyridinyl moiety are the common metabolites with other pesticides such as Acetamiprid and Nitenpyram while that defined by the CAC is the sum of imidacloprid and its metabolites containing the 6-chloropyridinyl moiety. Thus, it is quite natural that the MRLs set in Japan are generally lower than the CXLs.

9.

Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: Food Sanitation Act (available in English at: https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/ja/laws/view/3687).

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 of the comment period.

Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy): As soon as possible after the final date of 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): 27 October 2026. Comments only to updated MRLs (marked with black circles and/or 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