Japan - Proposes to Ban PFOA, Its Salts and Related Compounds in Certain Uses

​The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW), the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Ministry of the Environment (MoE) released a proposal on February 1 regarding the ban of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and related compounds in certain uses. The aim is to align with the measures under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.​ The proposal is planned to be discussed in mid-2024.

The measure is to ban the manufacture and import of PFOA isomers, its salts and related compounds from the fourth quarter of 2024, including
- PFOA itself
- 1,1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8-heptadecafluoro-8-iodooctane (Perfluorooctyl iodide, PFOI)
- 3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,10-heptadecafluorodecan-1-ol (8:2 fluorotelomer alcohol, 8:2 FTOH)
- and related-compounds

The following uses of PFOA would be prohibited:
- floor wax
- textiles, clothing and carpets that are treated with water and oil repellents
- adhesives and sealing fillers
- coating agents
- paints and varnishes
- toners
- detergents
- photographic film
- water- / oil-resisting paper
- anti-reflective agents used in semiconductor manufacturing and
- fire extinguishers, fire extinguishing agents and fire extinguishing foams 

The following uses of PFOA isomers, its salts and related compounds would be prohibited:
- floor wax
- textile protecting agents / anti-fouling agents
- water and oil repellent agents
- water and oil repellent textile
- defoaming agents
- coating agents
- optical fiber and its surface coating agent and
- fire extinguishers, fire extinguishing agents and fire extinguishing foam