JAPAN

Capital: Tokyo
Population:  126,975,000
Currency: Yen
Official Language(s): Japanese

I. CHEMICAL MAXIMUM RESIDUE LEVELS (MRLS)

Please click on the above link for a list of chemical MRLs.  

II. CHEMICALS AND ADDITIVE INFORMATION

    A. Chemical residue standards:

      No post harvest use of any chemical is allowed by Japan, except as authorized by a specific protocol (e.g. methyl bromide) or approved as a food additive.

The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's (MHLW) basic policy in handling food imports treated with chemicals which do not have a Japanese residue tolerance is to use a default MRL of 0.01 ppm.

    B. Monitoring chemical residues:

      Chemicals are very strictly monitored under the Japanese Food Sanitation Law.  MHLW tests between 3-10% of imports for anti-microbials, chemical residues, food additives, microorganisms and fungal toxins.

    C. Restrictions on use of waxes:

      Fruit waxes are listed on the existing Food Additives list and are not considered injurious to health based on the opinion of the Food SafetyCouncil.

      Approved waxes for post harvest use: Bees wax, carnauba, lanolin, microcrystalline, montan, lignite, oil seed, candillia, Brazil, paraffin, rice bran, shellac (purified and white), cane, spermaceti, urucury, wood and white Japanese.

III. ORGANIC FRUIT REGULATIONS

Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) requires specific labeling of organic produce.  For details, visit MAFF's website.

IV. TARIFFS

    Japan imposes import duties of 8.5% ad valorem on cherries, 17% ad valorem on apples and 6.0% ad valorem on nectarines.

V. NON-TARIFF BARRIERS

    A. Labeling requirements:

    The shipping carton should be labeled with:

    1.  Name of product
    2.  Country of origin
    3.  Net weight

    Distributors/importers are responsible for labeling product that is intended for sale at retail.

    The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo recommends that exporters work closely with their importers to ensure compliance with all labeling regulations.

    All food additives and their stated function, whether synthetic or natural, must be listed on the label. Please note that fungicides applied after harvest are classified as food additives and must be approved by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

    Country-of-origin labeling is required at the retail level.

    Japan has a Package Recycling Law that requires paper and plastic packaging to be appropriately labeled and recycled.  Compliance with the law is the responsibility of the importer.  For details of this law and specific labeling requirements, see the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's website.

    Nutritional labeling is voluntary in Japan.  However, if such labeling is done it must be in Japanese and conform to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare guidelines.  The U.S. nutrition fact panel is not acceptable.

    B. Licenses and quotas:

      None.

    C. Currency Issues:

      None.

    D. Pest and plant disease restrictions:

    Apples:  Apples must be treated with a 55-day cold treatment and methyl bromide fumigation, and inspected by Japanese officials prior to shipment.

    Japan limits the import of U.S. fresh apples to the following varieties:  Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Gala, Jonagold, Fuji, Granny Smith and Braeburn.

    On August 25, 2005 Japan issued revised regulations eliminating unnecessary and unjustified measures on U.S. apples resulting from concerns about fire blight, a disease that may affect apple trees but is not found on mature, harvested fruit.  Japan has now eliminated its mandatory orchard inspections, orchard buffer zones and various packing facility requirements.  Replacing these measures is a requirement to sample export fruit to ensure they are mature and certify that shipments are free of fire blight disease.  Japan's actions resulted from a dispute won by the United States in the World Trade Organization.

    Cherries:  Cherries must be fumigated with methyl bromide and inspected by Japanese officials prior to shipment.

    Japan permits the following fresh cherry varieties to be imported from the United States: Bing, Lambert, Van, Rainier, Royal Rainier, Tulare, Brooks, Garnet, Early Garnet, Sweetheart, Lapin and Chelan.

    For information on the export requirements for apples and cherries, contact the Northwest Fruit Exporters at 509/576-8004 or your State Department of Agriculture.

    Pears:      Imports of U.S. pears into Japan are prohibited for plant quarantine reasons such as fire blight.

    Nectarines:      On August 30, 2000 Japan approved access for all varieties of nectarines from the U.S. following methyl bromide fumigation.

    E. Solid Wood Packing Material (SWPM) Regulations:

    Please refer to the SWPM section of the NHC's Technical Bulletins and Industry Advice.

    F. Other trade restrictions:

VI. SUBSIDIES

There are no price support programs. However, to further develop overseas markets for Japanese fresh fruits, the Government initiated an export incentive program in 1984. Under this program, 50% of the cost involved in developing exports is subsidized.

VII.  MARKETING REPRESENTATIVES FOR PACIFIC NORTHWEST TREE FRUIT INDUSTRY

Northwest Cherry Growers/Washington State Fruit Commission:

Scott Hitchman
Milton Group Ltd.
Tokyo, JAPAN
Voice:   011 813-5770-7564
Fax:      011 813-5770-7534
E-mail:  sch@gol.com

VIII.  OTHER RESOURCE LINKS:

Governmental:

IX.  ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Special thanks to
FAS Field Office - Japan

105 South 18th Street, Suite 105
Yakima, Washington 98901, USA
Voice: (509) 453-3193, Fax: (509) 457-7615

E-mail general@nwhort.org