News Details
Japan publishes 2026 application process for Specific New Chemical Substances
On 5 December 2025, the application process for FY 2026 of specific new chemical substances in Japan was released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW), and the Ministry of Environment (MOE). METI has published details of the application process on its website. Specific new chemical substances are regulated under Japan’s Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL).
New Chemical Substances Covered by the 2026 Process
This application process covers the following categories of new chemical substances:
Low-volume new chemical substances: Chemicals manufactured or imported in quantities of up to 10 t/y fall under this category. The FY 2026 application process for these substances has been published.
Small quantities of new chemical substances: Chemicals manufactured or imported in quantities of up to 1 t/y fall into this category. The FY 2026 application process for these substances has been published.
Key Submission Details for New Chemical Substances in Japan
| Aspect | Low-volume new chemical substances | Small quantities of new chemical substances |
| Submission Methods | 1. Electronic (e-Gov) 2. Optical Disk (by mail to METI) 3. Written (by mail to METI) | 1. Electronic (e-Gov) 2. Optical Disk (by mail to METI) 3. Written (by mail to MOE) |
| Scheduled Submission Rounds | Round 1: Feb 17-25, 2026 (Electronic), Feb 17-20, 2026 (Optical/Written) Round 2: April 16-22, 2026 Round 3: May 14-20, 2026 | Round 1: Jan 15-28, 2026 (Electronic), Jan 15-22, 2026 (Optical/Written) Round 2: April 1-14, 2026 (Electronic), April 1-10, 2026 (Optical) Round 3: June 1-30, 2026 (Optical Disk Only) |
| Details on Future Rounds | Dates for rounds after June 2026 to be decided and notified in June 2026 | Dates for rounds after June 2026 to be confirmed based on system updates |
Publication of the Notification Schedule in October of 2026
On 17 October 2025, Japan’s METI, MHLW and MOE jointly published the 2026 notification schedule for particular new chemical substances.
Annual Revisions to the New Chemical Application Procedure
Every November-December, the ministries revise the application procedure for specific new substances. On 11 November 2024, Japan’s MHLW, METI, and MoE jointly published the new chemical application procedure for 2025.
We acknowledge that the above information has been compiled from Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Portal - Japan.
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