Japan : Proposed Prohibition of Asbestos and Products containing Asbestos

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) of Japan is considering a revision of the ordinances of the Industrial Safety and Health Law to prohibit asbestos and products containing asbestos, with the exception of unavoidable uses. They are now inviting foreign related persons who are involved in the manufacture, import and sale of asbestos or products containing asbestos to state their views at an opinion hearing to held on 8 April 2003.

2. For the safety of the nation, the proposed prohibition implies that asbestos and products containing asbestos shall not be manufactured, imported, transferred, provided or used in Japan. Persons with foreign nationality and persons with Japanese nationality who work for a foreign company in Japan are eligible to make statements of their opinion at an opinion hearing. The hearing will be held in the MHLW office in Tokyo on 8 April 2003 and statements should be made in Japanese to the MHLW officials. Persons wishing to make statements at the hearing should submit a document in Japanese giving name, address, telephone number, affiliation and summary of statement to the division-in-charge of the MHLW by 1 April 2003. Please refer to the English translation of a recent MHLW notice at Annex for more details.

3. Should you have any enquiries, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5672.

Yours faithfully,

(Miss Jojo CHAN)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry