Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) officially published 2023 fiscal year data on domestic production and import volumes of General Chemical Substances, Priority Assessment Chemical Substances, and Monitoring Chemical Substances. The disclosure aligns with the Chemical Substance Control Law (CSCL) to strengthen lifecycle management of chemicals through transparent regulation and mitigate potential health and environmental risks.
Categorized Data Disclosure Clarifies Regulatory Standards
Under the CSCL, the three categories are subject to differentiated management based on risk levels:
- General Chemical Substances: Substances not classified as high-risk, typically with minimal environmental or health impacts. Data is disclosed under Article 8, Paragraph 1 of the CSCL.
- Priority Assessment Chemical Substances: Chemicals requiring urgent toxicity assessments due to environmental persistence, bioaccumulation potential, or significant health risks. Annual production/import volumes exceeding 100 metric tons must be disclosed as per Article 9, Paragraph 2.
- Monitoring Chemical Substances: Substances confirmed to pose long-term environmental accumulation risks. Volumes exceeding 1 metric ton annually require mandatory disclosure under Article 13, Paragraph 2.
This initiative underscores Japan’s commitment to CSCL compliance while establishing a multi-stakeholder risk prevention framework. By mandating transparency, METI aims to drive industries to reduce high-risk chemical usage, reinforce environmental accountability and empower public oversight and evidence-based policymaking through accessible data.
Further Information
