Japan publishes 2027 notification schedule for New Chemical Substances
Reference source : Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Portal - Japan
On 8 September 2026, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and Ministry of the Environment (MOE) published the 2027 notification and application schedule for the manufacture and import of new chemical substances under the Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL). The schedule was published on the METI portal.
Ten Submission Rounds Announced
The authorities have announced ten submission rounds for 2027, each with separate deadlines for submitting preliminary review materials and official notification or application documents. The first preliminary review deadline is 6 October 2026, while the corresponding notification deadline is 24 December 2026.
|
Round |
Preliminary review deadline |
Notification/application deadline |
|
1 |
6 Oct 2026 |
24 Dec 2026 |
|
2 |
17 Dec 2026 |
3 Mar 2027 |
|
3 |
7 Jan 2027 |
2 Apr 2027 |
|
4 |
10 Feb 2027 |
14 May 2027 |
|
5 |
15 Mar 2027 |
11 Jun 2027 |
|
6 |
14 Apr 2027 |
8 Jul 2027 |
|
7 |
16 Jun 2027 |
3 Sep 2027 |
|
8 |
9 Jul 2027 |
1 Oct 2027 |
|
9 |
18 Aug 2027 |
5 Nov 2027 |
|
10 |
15 Sep 2027 |
6 Dec 2027 |
All deadlines for preliminary review materials are subject to a submission cut-off at 3:00 p.m. Materials received after the relevant deadline will be reviewed in a subsequent round.
Regulatory procedure
The evaluation of new chemical substances is carried out in two stages: a preliminary review, followed by deliberation by the relevant council. Before submitting a new notification or application, companies must register with the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) CSCL contact system. After registration, NITE will provide guidance on submitting materials for the preliminary review.
Following the preliminary review, companies must submit the formal notification or application documents to METI by the relevant notification date.
For an identical substance for which a determination notice has already been issued, subsequent applicants may submit a copy of the existing determination notice instead of test results. Such cases are exempt from preliminary or council deliberation, as long as the notification is submitted by one of the designated notification dates.
Obligations for the Stakeholders
Businesses planning to import or manufacture new chemicals in Japan should take the 2027 schedule into account when planning their market entry and regulatory submissions. Preliminary review materials should be prepared well in advance of the applicable deadlines to avoid being moved to a later round.
Future Outlook
The ministries have not yet disclosed the dates for the 2028 notification schedule, but it is expected to be published in September 2027.