Provisional Translation
| OTO No. | 478 | Classification | MITI-121 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of Acceptance | June 22, 1992 | Ministry/Agency Receiving Complaint | Economic Planning Agency |
| Responsible Ministries | Ministry of International Trade and Industry | Related Laws | Electrical Appliance and Material Control Law |
| Complainant | The Japan and America Chamber of Commerce (proxy complaint) | Exporting Countries | USA |
| Subject | Simplification of inspection for cooking appliances | ||
| Details of Measures | Under the Electrical Appliance and Material Control Law, the UL (Underwriters Laboratories) of American companies are designated by the minister for International Trade and Industry as a foreign testing organization which can carry out type testing for Type I electrical appliances according to the standards mandated by the said Law. Accordingly, if businesses undergo type testing at UL laboratories under the standards approved by the Electrical Appliance and Material Control Law and apply for type permit attaching the test data obtained, the minister for International Trade and Industry can check this data and grant type approval. However, even though products may be tested at a foreign testing facility designated by the minister for International Trade and Industry, if testing is conducted using standards different from those permitted by the Electrical Appliance and Material Control Law, the safety of the product when used in Japan cannot be guaranteed, and application for type permit cannot be made using the test data in question. The complainant was advised that when a product has passed only testing according to private sector specifications (UL specifications) in use in the United States, which differ from those allowed under the said Law, that test data may not be used to apply for type permit. Subsequently, under an ordinance for implementation of the Electrical Appliance and Material Control Law implemented from July 1995, electric cookers were transferred to Type 2. The complainant was informed that as a result, type permit by the minister for International Trade and Industry (for foreign firms, type approval), is not longer required, and inspection has been simplified. |
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| Classification of Processing | A | Directions | II-b |
| Remarks | Improvement measures were taken in July, 1995. | ||