Provisional Translation
| OTO No. | 463 | Classification | MOF-81 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of Acceptance | July 19, 1991 | Ministry/Agency Receiving Complaint | Economic Planning Agency |
| Responsible Ministries | Ministry of Finance | Related Laws | Liquor Tax Law |
| Complainant | Delegation of the Commission of the European Community (proxy complaint) | Exporting Countries | EC |
| Subject | Standards for quasi-whiskies | ||
| Details of Measures | The definition of "whiskies" was revised, in the revisions made to the Liquor Tax Law in 1989. Under the new definition, liquor containing less than 10raw whisky is classified as a spirit, and when such spirits (hereafter referred to as "new spirits") are manufactured, approval must be obtained from the head of the Tax Office. In order to avoid confusion between new spirits and whiskies, the above revisions set out detailed approval standards concerning percentage of raw whiskey content, coloring, labeling and advertising. Regarding shochu, in addition to the above approval standards, strict standards regarding labeling and advertising, in addition to existing regulations on coloring, were formulated, and the industry has been given thorough guidance regarding observance of these standards. The complainant was advised that since Japanese consumers now recognize that the new spirits and shochu manufactured in Japan are completely different from whiskies in both quality and appearance, no unfair competition is likely to occur between these products and whisky. |
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| Classification of Processing | D | Directions | I-b |
| Remarks | |||