Japan's parliament has passed a revised law to tighten regulations on foreign products sold online to customers in Japan.
The law was passed amid a recent increase in incidents involving overseas-made products sold online to Japanese consumers, most notably mobile device battery explosions.
According to Japan's Ministry of Economy , Trade and Industry, there were 103 serious incidents involving products purchased online in Japan in 2022. This is about six times higher than in 2013.
Under the revised law, Japan will require foreign companies to appoint a supervisor working in the country responsible for product safety.
In fact, there are many concerns that some foreign companies do not have a representative in Japan to take legal responsibility for products sold over the Internet.
The law also requires online shopping mall operators to remove unsafe products from their product listings and publicly announce the action, in cases where authorities determine that the product is dangerous or poses a risk to users or the distributor fails to properly handle the incident, such as issuing a product recall.
The new law also requires businesses in the field of electrical equipment, gas-related products and other items that may pose safety risks during use. Accordingly, these businesses are required to display the "PS" mark on their products to certify that the products comply with safety standards.
In the event of a violation, the authorities will make public the name of the supervisor in Japan responsible for product safety.
The revised law also includes regulations for children's toys, requiring businesses to ensure their products meet Japanese technical standards before being put on sale. Products of poor quality will not be allowed to circulate on the market.
Source
Comment (0)