Japan to Simplify the Application Process of Imported Cosmetics Next Year

For Many years, EBC (European Business Council in Japan) committees have been dedicated in improving market environment in Japan and recent days, they gained a definite ground.

Through several years of lobbying by working withcounterparts at the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan and the Cosmetic Importers Association in Japan, the Cosmetics and Quasi-Drugs Committee of EBC recently,achieved a highlight progress. Japanese officials intend to abolish the current import notification system for importers of cosmetics and quasi-drugs (substances that provide mild treatment and contain active ingredients), as well as drugs and medical devices.

One of committee member said that many importers have been required to submit redundant documents to the government and those documents always contained duplicate information. But there will be no need to do that from next year.The application process will be streamlined. The Japanese government issued the notices regarding the issues for public comments as follow.

l The current imported cosmetics and quasi-drugs notification system will be abolished on 18 December 2015;

l Nippon Automated Cargo Clearance System (NACCS) will be effecting to the end of this year;

l In the first three months of 2016, importers can only submit one of the following three documents for customs clearance:

a) Business license and approval certificate;

b) Import declaration documents;

c) The number of Nippon Automated Cargo Clearance System.

The current notification system has been much criticized for its lack of regulatory transparency, and a gap between Japanese product standards and those used in other parts of the world. Despite there will be a change to the import notification system, barriers are always existent. Before the detailed measures on the new notification system issued, the requirements for the current notification system are important as well. CIRS has summarized the regulatory requirements for exporting cosmetics to Japan, please click here if you are interested in it.