October 17, 2025, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and Ministry of the Environment (MOE) jointly announced the notification schedule for the manufacture and import of small-quantity new chemical substances for fiscal year 2026. According to the Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL), companies must submit confirmation applications for the manufacture or import of these substances during the designated acceptance periods. Applications can be submitted via three methods: electronic application through e-Gov, mail-in CD-ROM, or written documents mailed to METI.
The 2026 notification process will be conducted in seven batches. The schedule for the first three batches was confirmed as follows:
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Application Method |
Application Document Acceptance Period |
Expected Date for Confirmation/Non-Confirmation Notice |
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1st Batch |
Electronic Application |
January 15-January 28, 2026 (Early submission by January 22 is advised) |
March 27, 2026 |
|
CD-ROM |
January 15 - January 22, 2026 |
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Paper-based Application |
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2nd Batch |
Electronic Application |
April 1 - April 14, 2026 |
May 27, 2026 |
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CD-ROM |
April 1 - April 10, 2026 |
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Paper-based Application |
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System Suspension: June - July 2026 (scheduled) |
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3rd Batch |
Electronic Application |
Not Accepted |
Around August 2026 |
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CD-ROM |
June 1 - June 30, 2026 |
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Paper-based Application |
Not Accepted |
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4th Batch |
To be determined |
August 2026 |
Around September 2026 |
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5th Batch |
To be determined |
Around September 2026 |
Around October 2026 |
|
6th Batch |
To be determined |
Around October 2026 |
Around November-December 2026 |
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7th Batch |
To be determined |
Around Mid-November 2026 |
Around January 2027 |
The schedule for August 2026 and beyond (4th batch and later) is yet to be finalized and will be officially announced in June 2026.
In principle, companies may only commence manufacture or import of new chemical substances after receiving the confirmation notice. However, for applications submitted in the 1st batch, manufacturing or import should begin on or after April 1, 2026.
Furthermore, the notice regarding the schedule for manufacturing and import applications for small-quantity new chemical substances for fiscal year 2027 is planned to be announced in October 2026.
Further Information
