Japan

• Labeling Requirements
• Required Documents
• Licensing
• Import Procedures
• Taxes/Tariffs
• Contacts

LABELING REQUIREMENTS

The minimum font size for labels is approximately 8 point for all characters.  Labels should include the following information (as applicable), in Japanese:

• Name of the product
• The word “Imported” and Country of Origin
• Name/address of the importer
• Ingredients, other than additives, in descending order of weight percentage
• Food additives in descending order of weight on a separate line from other ingredients
• Alcohol content in “degrees” or “%.”
• Container Volume (listed in milliliters or liters)
• “Best before” or “best by” date
• Method of use, storage instructions, or preparation, (when established by the Minister of Health, Labor, and Welfare for the product, or when its absence could cause confusion).
• Labeling to prevent consumption by minors (All liquor containers must clearly state that "Consumption of alcohol by minors is prohibited," or "Alcohol may only be consumed by those ages 20 or over.")

Japan’s Liquor Tax Act, under the jurisdiction of the National Tax Agency (NTA), defines alcoholic beverages as beverages with an alcohol content of one percent or higher (those that contain less than one percent are handled as soft drinks). The labeling of alcoholic beverages is governed by the Food Labeling Act, and more specific administrative instructions for alcohol labeling are stipulated under the Act on Securing of Liquor Tax and on Liquor Business Associations. Labeling requirements vary depending on the category in which the exported alcoholic products are classified. For a summary of alcoholic beverage labeling requirements, please refer to section II of the JETRO guide. Certain terms, such as “Japan Wine” are restricted to domestically produced wine (see USDA GAIN Report JA8092). Please refer to USDA FAS 2023 FAIRS Annual Country Report.

It is strongly recommended that if a product label does not clearly indicate additives, preservatives, coloring material, spices or flavorings, a certificate with detailed descriptions of the ingredients (i.e., the names of chemical compounds, chemical names and international index numbers on the colors) be attached to each shipment in order to expedite import procedures. Details of food importing procedures may be viewed on the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) website.  

Also, visit Japan Agricultural Standards website for the labeling information required by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan.

 Allergen Labeling:

The seven designated foods (crab, shrimp, wheat, buckwheat, egg, dairy products and peanut) are subject to mandatory labeling. Foods containing those foods, or ingredients prepared from them, must be labeled. If a food contains an ingredient made from a designated potential allergen, the label must identify the source. MHLW highly recommends also listing the following additional allergens on the ingredients list: almond, abalone, squid, salmon roe, orange, cashew nut, kiwi fruit, beef, walnut, sesame, salmon, mackerel, soybean, chicken, banana, pork, matsutake mushroom, peach, mountain yam, apple, and gelatin. Please refer to the USDA FAS 2023 FAIRS Annual Country Report for more information.   

Genetically Engineered (GE) Food Labeling:

The Food Labeling Standards (Japanese only) (see USDA GAIN Report JA7078 and USDA GAIN Report JA9055) requires GE labeling for eight crops (soybean, corn, potato, canola, cottonseed, alfalfa, sugar beet and papaya) and 33 processed food items that contain those crops as ingredients. The Standards exempt from the labeling requirement most highly refined products that have no remaining foreign DNA, such as cooking oil and sugar.

Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) allows three types of GE related claims on food labels in Japan: GE, non-segregated, and non-GE. CAA requires products to have either GE or non-segregated labels when products fall into these two categories. If a product is identity-preserved as GE, it must be labeled as GE and cannot be labeled as non-segregated. If it is a non-identity preserved product of approved GE varieties, it must be labeled as non-segregated. Separate guidance applies to potatoes and papayas. Non-GE labels are voluntary. For additional details on current labeling requirements see USDA GAIN Report JA2022-0092.

On April 1, 2023, CAA implemented new Food Labeling Standards for GE products which changed the threshold of unintentional contamination of GE products from five percent to non-detectable. For more information on the background of these changes see the CAA website (Japanese only). Please refer to the USDA FAS 2023 FAIRS Annual Country Report for more information.

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REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

These include:

• “Notification Form for Importation of Foods, etc.” – two copies required from the Japanese importer
• Documents showing the materials, additives and manufacturing methods

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LICENSING

Wholesaler dealer license is required, and importers do not need to register as an importer or obtain an importer license.

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IMPORT PROCEDURES

Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) is the lead agency ensuring that imported foods comply with the Food Sanitation Act (see flowchart outlining the import procedures). Products selected for random surveillance under MHLW’s monitoring plan will be inspected on the spot at a designated bonded warehouse. Port officials will collect samples for laboratory analysis from a subset of the shipment. Importers may have the option of testing a sample of the product by one of the MHLW official or registered laboratories located in the U.S. A full list of the registered laboratories is found on the MHLW website. If the imported product is under an inspection order, the quarantine station will permit entry into Japan once it examines the product and confirms compliance with Japan’s food regulations. Unless imported products are under an inspection order, they will usually be permitted to clear customs while the laboratory testing is ongoing.

Quarantine officials will apply a stamp of approval to the Notification Form prior to entry. Importing companies should be able to guide exporters through the required steps and the appropriate level of detail needed for these documents. Cargo found in violation of the Food Sanitation Act must be re-exported, destroyed, diverted to non-food use (if applicable), or otherwise discarded. In addition to the MHLW inspections, imports of plants and plant products and animal products are subject to biosecurity inspections.

Japan does not have import permit systems but requires imports to satisfy phytosanitary and animal health requirements. Importers are required to submit import notices and relevant export certificates (see FAIRS Export Certificate Report JA2023-0099 for additional information) to Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) Plant Protection Stations and MAFF Animal Quarantine Service prior to biosecurity inspections.

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TARIFFS/TAXES

The U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement (USJTA) entered into force on January 1, 2020. In this agreement, Japan provided substantial market access for the United States by phasing out most tariffs, enacting meaningful tariff reductions, or allowing a specific quantity of imports at a lower duty. Following implementation of USJTA, nearly 90 percent of U.S. food and agricultural products imported into Japan are duty-free or receive preferential tariff access. To receive preferential treatment under the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement (USJTA), a good must be an originating good and meet the preferential rules of origin of USJTA. Section C of Annex I of the Agreement identifies the rules of origin used to determine if a good is eligible for preferential tariffs. Japan Customs applies the rules of origin described in USJTA, as well as Japanese laws, regulations, or procedures that govern additional information required to verify product origin. Generally, goods are considered to be originating from the United States if they are wholly obtained or produced in the United States; produced entirely from U.S.- originating materials; or the final product produced in the U.S. results in the necessary harmonized system code transformation. Additionally, there is a de minimis exception for non-originating materials that do not exceed 10 percent of the total value of a good even if they do not meet the rules of origin criteria.

Japan Customs may require an importer to submit an origin declaration document, a detailed origin declaration document, and supplementary documentation affirming product origin at the time of import. U.S. exporters are not permitted to initiate the submission of any documents to Japan Customs, but exporters may submit supplementary documents directly to Japan Customs in coordination with the importer. Japan Customs is unlikely to retroactively award preferential tariff for USJTA eligible items. Exporters should inform importers about relevant USJTA preferential access so that the importer can provide proper documentation to Japan Customs. Additional information on preferential rules of origin is available on the Japan Customs website.

For the most current tariffs and taxes applied to imported products, please visit Japan Customs’ Tariff Schedule website.  Please ensure you have a 10-digit HS classification code in order to obtain tariff information. Inquiries may be made to the Customs Counselor Offices via email. The email addresses of regional Customs Counselor Offices can be found here.

Also see the Census Bureau’s Schedule B search function, which allows you to classify your product according to United States export codes. Simply click "Search" and enter the keyword (i.e., beer) that best describes your product.

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CONTACTS

The information in this guide was obtained from external sources, including the websites of various governmental agencies and organizations, direct contact with those agencies and organizations, and from Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Global Agricultural Information Reports (GAIN) reports. Consequently, the accuracy of this information depends upon the accuracy of the sources.

TTB is not responsible for the content of external websites.

This page was last reviewed on March 7, 2024

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