Recently, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan released reporting guidelines regarding the manufacturing/import quantity for general chemicals, priority assessment chemicals, and monitoring chemicals. It aims to enhance the management of chemicals that pose potential environmental risks. The guidelines require companies that manufacture or import general chemicals, priority assessment chemicals of 1 ton or more, or monitoring chemicals of 1 kilogram or more during the fiscal year 2023 (April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024), to submit a detailed report to the METI.

MOE proposes designating NPE as Class II Specified Chemical Substances to strengthen control over its production, import, and use.

Since 1 February 2024, METI has implemented the latest import clearance procedures for chemical substances under the Japanese CSCL.

On February 21, 2024, the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) in Japan updated the classification list under the hazard general knowledge of chemicals based on the GHS - Labelling and Safety Data Sheet (SDS). Seven substances are involved in the update. Currently, there are 3,327 substances on the list.

On February 1, 2024, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW), Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and Ministry of Environment (MoE) jointly issued a draft on the revision of the Chemical Substance Control Law (CSCL) for public comments closing on March 1, 2024. This draft aims to strengthen the management of PFOA-related compounds, involving their manufacturing, import, and usage.

On November 28, 2023, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and Ministry of Environment jointly announced that the cabinet has approved the partial amendment to the Chemical Substance Control Law (CSCL).

On November 28, 2023, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced that the cabinet has approved the partial amendment to the Act on Preventing Environmental Pollution of Mercury. It aims to respond to the Fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury, where new regulations for specified mercury-containing products were established. Act on Preventing Environmental Pollution of Mercury mainly aims to regulate the mining of mercury and the manufacturing of mercury-containing products to prevent environmental pollution.

On November 8, 2023, the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of the Environment jointly published the public consultation results for its revision to the Chemical Substance Control Law (CSCL), which started on September 15. The consultation drew extensive attention and various suggestions were submitted.

On September 8, 2023, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW), the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) jointly published a notice on the declaration schedule for the manufacturing and import of new chemical substances in 2024, bringing important information to industries in the chemical sector. In accordance with laws on chemical substance review and manufacturing, enterprises must make a declaration according to the regulations before manufacturing or importing new chemical substances to obtain relevant determination notice, so as to undergo review on the properties of the chemical substance.

On August 10, 2023, the Manufacturing Industries Bureau of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry officially published an announcement concerning three substances newly listed as prohibited substances at the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention (SC COP-11), as the Class I Specified Chemical Substances in the Chemical Substances Control Law.