28 February 2014
Japan Progresses HBCD Production Phase-Out
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The Government of Japan has circulated a notification to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade, prohibiting import of products containing from hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) from May 2014.

HBCD was listed in Annex A (for elimination), with specific exemptions, of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in May 2013.

Japan FlagDecember 2013: The Government of Japan has circulated a notification to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade, prohibiting import of products containing from hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) from May 2014. HBCD was listed in Annex A (for elimination), with specific exemptions, of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in May 2013.

Japan’s notification specifies that the following products containing HBCD are prohibited from import: chemicals for flame-retardant treatment for textile fabrics; expandable polystyrene for flame-retardant expanded polystyrene (EPS); flame-retardant textile fabric; and flame-retardant curtains. Japan’s regulation prohibiting HBCD comes into force in May 2014. Under the the Stockholm Convention listing, HBCD can continue to be used in EPS or extruded polystyrene insulation for buildings until 2019. [Japan’s WTO Announcement] [Recommendation of the POPRC on HBCD]