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Japan has in place a system of prior confirmation to collect data on certain imports. The system is intended to ensure that these imports are for specific uses, and to verify documentation and origin requirements. Prior confirmation is required from the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, or other relevant minister; some items require confirmation from Customs. The system is used, inter alia, for goods where fraudulent declarations have been found in the past or are deemed more high risk. These include: vaccine of microbial origin for experimental use; uranium catalysts; specified foreign cultural property; tuna; marlin; whales; psychotropics; poppy and hemp seeds; certain substances listed in the Montreal Protocol; radioisotopes; diamonds; and various other chemicals and pharmaceutical products.

Under the provisions of the Japan Agricultural Standards Law (JAS Law), international standards (such as Codex) must be "taken into account" before establishing or revising JAS. As a result the authorities do refer to relevant international standards when establishing or revising JAS. Furthermore, under the JAS Law, there are mandatory technical standards, such as quality labelling standards and JAS for organically produced products, as well as voluntary standards. During the period under review, quality labelling standards (mandatory standards) for 44 products were revised, while 19 voluntary standards have been revised since 2010. The JAS for organic plants and organic processed foods, which are mandatory standards, were revised in March 2012.

Food labelling in Japan is governed by the JAS Law and the Food Sanitation Law. Under the provisions of the JAS law, 52 mandatory labelling standards for food are currently in force. These include: cross-category quality labelling standards for processed foods, fresh foods, and genetically modified foods, and individual quality labelling standards. Food that contains additives must also be labelled with the additives included. Imported processed food does not require labelling of place of origin of the ingredients, which is mandatory for domestically produced processed food. All organic plants and organic processed foods to be sold in Japan must comply with the JAS organic standards and carry the JAS organic mark.

The authorities stated that the labelling system of organic plants and organic processed foods under the JAS law was to be amended in spring 2012. The changes have been notified to the WTO.

The authorities stated that Japan has amended its safety and environmental regulations for road vehicles to align them with regulations under the UN Agreement dealing with the Adoption of Uniform Technical Prescriptions for Wheeled Vehicles, Equipment and Parts which can be fitted and/or be used on Wheeled Vehicles (1958 Agreement).

Japan maintains export controls on grounds of national security and public safety and to preserve natural resources in accordance with international agreements (such as CITES).

Items subject to export controls, as set out in the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law and the Export Trade Control Order, include: arms and certain dual-use items based on the UN Security Council Resolution 1540 and other relevant international commitments, such as international export control regimes; and some other items under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The authorities maintain that the main purpose of Japan's export controls is to preserve limited natural resources and ensure national security; export controls are also applied to certain products under Japan's free-trade agreements.

The focus of Japan's system of tax incentives is on achieving various policy objectives, including investment to address environmental concerns or promote R&D.

Japan has also extended the "eco-car" tax cut for three years (until April 2015), and introduced the "carbon dioxide tax of global warming countermeasure", which adds certain taxes in relation to the amount of CO2 emission (effective 1 October 2012)

The Japanese economy has rebounded since then and real GDP growth is expected to be 2.2% in 2012. Recent growth has not been driven by exports, but has come on the back of reconstruction spending, consumer spending (helped by government subsidies for environmentally friendly automobiles)