JAPAN: REVISIONS OF THE SAFETY REGULATIONS FOR ROAD VEHICLES The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6. G/TBT/Notif.96.445. 1. Member to Agreement notifying: JAPAN. If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2). 2. Agency responsible: Ministry of Transport. Agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification can be indicated if different from above. 3. Notified under Article 2.9.2. 4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Motor vehicles (HS:87.01-87.05, 87.11. 5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Revisions of the Safety Regulations for Road Vehicles (available in English). 6. Description of content: Outline of planned revisions are as follows: (1) Establishment of emission standards for two-wheeled motor vehicles; (2) strengthening of emission standards for trucks, buses etc. using gasoline, LPG or diesel as fuel; (3) strengthening of emissionstandards on idling for motor vehicles using gasoline or LPG as fuel. 7. Objective and rationale: To prevent air pollution caused by motor vehicles. 8. Relevant documents: The basic law is the Road Vehicles Act. The revision will appear in "KAMPO" (Official Government Gazette) when adopted. 9. Proposed date of adoption: March 1997; Proposed date of entry into force: (1) For the following domestically-made models: October 1998 at earliest. For the following foreign-made models: April 2000 at earliest: Mini-sized two-wheeled motor vehicles using gasoline as fuel; first class motor-driven cycles; mini-sized trucks, medium-duty motor vehicles (1.7 tons less gross vehicle weight (=GVW) less than equal to 2.5 tons), heavy-duty motor vehicles (2.5 tons less than GVW), which are using gasoline or LPG as fuel. (2) For the following domestically-made models: October 1999 at earliest: For the following foreign made models: April 2001 at earliest: Small-sized two-wheeled motor vehicles and second class motor-driven cycles, which are using gasoline as fuel; heavy-duty motor vehicles (12 tons less than GVW) using diesel. (3) Regulations on idling for motor vehicles: For domestic ally-made vehicles except small-sized two-wheeled motor vehicles: October 1998; For domestic ally-made small-sized two-wheeled motor vehicles: October 1999; For foreign-made vehicles except small-sized two-wheeled motor vehicles: April 2000; For foreign-made small-sized two-wheeled motor vehicles: April 2001. 10. Final date for comments: 3 February 1997. 11. Text available from: National enquiry point. (0023)

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