Japan announced adjustments to the Priority Assessment Chemical Substances List and the requirements for reporting production quantities.

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.

On February 6, 2025, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced a revision to the import procedures under the Chemical Substances Control Law, aimed at strengthening the management of specific hazardous chemicals.

On November 11, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the Ministry of the Environment (MOE), and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) of Japan jointly announced the implementation of new notification procedures for low volume and small volume new chemical substances starting in 2025.

Under the Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL), enterprises shall report new chemical substances based on their annual production or import volume.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and Ministry of the Environment (MOE) of Japan recently issued a joint notification, calling on relevant companies to provide hazard information on ethyl hydrogen sulphates for a comprehensive risk assessment. All information must be submitted by mail or in person to the METI by November 22, 2024.

Japan announced that revisions to the Regulations for Enforcement of the Poisonous and Deleterious Substances Control Act will be implemented.

The Global Chemical Inventory Search (GCIS) developed by CIRS Group supports users to search the latest inventory of chemicals globally by entering CAS number or substance name in both Chinese and English. It also provides obligation analysis for global chemical compliance. CIRS continuously monitors and updates to global chemical inventories regularly, trying to help users to know more details of compliance obligations of their substances.

Recently, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan issued an important notice under the Chemical Weapons (Prohibition) Act, requiring relevant enterprises to submit reports by September 30, 2024, on the estimated production, extraction, refining, and use of designated substances in 2025. It aims to comply with the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which was established in 1992 and ratified in 1995. Japan has been steadily implementing the obligations, including reporting and accepting international inspections.

Japan Adds 164 General Chemical Substances; South Korea Releases Hazard Assessments for 91 Chemicals and Revises 27 Announced Results.