WORLD TRADE G/TBT/Notif.97.83
10March 1997
ORGANIZATION
(97-0972)
Committee onTechnical Barriers toTrade
NOTIFICATION
Thefollowing notification isbeing circulated inaccordance withArticle 10.6.
1. Member toAgreement notifying: JAPAN
Ifapplicable, name oflocalgovernment involved (Articles 3.2and7.2):
2. Agency responsible: Agency ofIndustrial Science andTechnology, Ministry of
International Trade andIndustry
Agency orauthority designated tohandle comments regarding thenotification canbe
indicated ifdifferent from above:
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [],2.10.1 [],5.6.2 [X],5.7.1 [],other:
4. Products covered (HSorCCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICSnumbers maybeprovided inaddition, where applicable): Industrial ormineral
products (excepting drugs, agricultural chemicals, chemical fertilizers, silky yarnand
agricultural products)
5. Title, number ofpages andlanguage(s) ofthenotified document: Amendment ofthe
Industrial Standardization Law(2pages, English)
6. Description ofcontent:
(1) Revision ofJapanese Industrial Standards (JIS)Mark system hitherto, concerning
JISMark system, ithasbeen thecertification system conducted only by
competent ministers. However, according tothisamendment, third party
certification bodies intheprivate sector willbeabletocertify theJISMark by
theirownresponsibility.
(2) Laboratory Accreditation Program. Suppliers whomanufacture non-designated
JISproducts havemade selfdeclaration forconformity. Inorder tofacilitate the
suppliers 'selfdeclaration, Laboratory Accreditation Program willbeintroduced.
With theprogram, competent ministers accredit suitable laboratories which test
thenon-designated JISproducts.
7. Objective andrationale: Tofacilitate international freetrade anddevelop international
harmonized conformity assessment system thatisbased oninternational standards.
8. Relevant documents: These amendments will appear in"KAMPO" (Official
Government Gazette) when adopted.
9. Proposed dateofadoption: Notyetdetermined.
Proposed dateofentry intoforce: October 1997.
10. Final dateforcomments: 25April 1997
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [X]oraddress andtelefax number ofother
body: