Cabinet Decision on the Cabinet Order for the Partial Revision of the Order for Enforcement of the Act on the Regulation of Manufacture and Evaluation of Chemical Substances

1. Background to the revision of the Cabinet Order

At the Tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants held in June 2022, Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS)-related compounds were decided to come under the scope of elimination. In response,the Chemical Substances Council¹ held a meeting and reached the conclusion that it is appropriate to designate PFHxS-related compounds as Class I Specified Chemical Substances² under Article 2 (2) of the Act on the Regulation of Manufacture and Evaluation of Chemical Substances (Act No. 117 of 1973; hereafter referred to as the “CSCL”). 

Accordingly, the Cabinet Order designates PFHxS-related compounds as Class I Specified Chemical Substances and makes the necessary revisions to the Order for Enforcement.

Notes

1. Co-hosted with the Subcommittee on Chemical Substances, Committee on Safety of Chemical Substances, Pharmaceutical Affairs Council of MHLW, and the Subcommittee on Evaluation of Chemical Substances, Environmental Health Committee, Central Environment Council of MOE.

2. Chemical substances that are persistent, bioaccumulative, and have long-term toxicity to humans or predatory animals at higher trophic levels. These substances are subject to permission requirements for manufacturing and importing (in principle, prohibited), restrictions on use, or a prohibition on the import of Cabinet Order-designated products, among other regulations.

2. Summary of the Cabinet Order

(1) Designation of Class I Specified Chemical Substances

The Cabinet Order designates PFHxS-related compounds as Class I Specified Chemical Substances under Article 2 (2) of the CSCL.

(2) Designation of products that businesses are not permitted to import, in which any of the Class I Specified Chemical Substances are used

The Cabinet Order is to designate water-repellent textiles and oil-repellent textiles as the products that businesses are not permitted to import if such products contain PFHxS-related compounds to be designated as Class I Specified Chemical Substances.

(3) Discontinuation of exceptional uses of Class I Specified Chemical Substances

The exceptional approval for the use of 8:2 fluorotelomer alcohol, granted due to the lack of viable alternatives and other factors, expired on December 3, 2025. Therefore, the provision regarding this exceptional approval will be removed from the Cabinet Order.

(4) Designation of products required to comply with standards regarding handling if a Class I Specified Chemical Substance is used

The Cabinet Order designates fire extinguishers, fire-extinguishing agents for fire extinguishers, and foam fire-extinguishing agents in which PFHxS-related compounds are used , for the time being, as products that are required to comply with government-prescribed technical standards for handling.

(5) Transitional measures

Other necessary transitional measures will be established.

3. Future schedule (tentative)

Promulgation

December 17, 2025

Enforcement

December 17, 2025 (same as the date of promulgation) for the item set out in 2. (3) above
June 17, 2026 (to be enforced six months after the promulgation) for the items set out in 2. (1), (2), and (4) above
Note: (5) The transitional measures and other related matters will enter into force as appropriate on the date of promulgation or six months after the promulgation.

Related Materials (in Japanese)

• Bill of the Cabinet Order and reasons(PDF:60KB)
• Outline(PDF:103KB)
• Comparison of the prior and revised provisions(PDF:89KB)

Division in Charge

Chemical Safety Office, Chemical Management Policy Division, Industrial and Product Safety Policy Group