Product Safety Pledge

Overview

The Product Safety Pledge is a voluntary public-private initiative in Japan designed to help protect consumers from recalled or unsafe products listed or sold on online marketplaces. It is not a law by itself, but a cooperative framework involving relevant government authorities and major online marketplace operators.

For import practice, this issue is important when overseas products are sold in Japan through EC platforms, online marketplaces, online flea markets or internet auction services. Importers and sellers should not simply list products online without checking whether the products are recalled, unsafe, non-compliant with Japanese safety rules or missing required labels.

Why the Product Safety Pledge Matters

Online marketplaces allow many domestic and overseas sellers to list products quickly. This creates convenience for consumers, but it also increases the risk that recalled products, unsafe products, products without required safety marks or products with insufficient warnings may remain available online.

The Product Safety Pledge aims to reduce these risks through cooperation between public authorities and online marketplace operators. The focus is not only on responding after accidents occur, but also on preventing unsafe products from continuing to be listed and sold online.

Nature of the Pledge

The Product Safety Pledge is a voluntary initiative that goes beyond the ordinary legal framework of product safety. It does not replace laws such as the Consumer Product Safety Act, the Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Act, the Gas Business Act or other product safety regulations.

Importers, sellers and marketplace operators may still have separate legal responsibilities depending on the product. The pledge should be understood as an additional safety-management framework for online sales, especially where unsafe or recalled products may spread quickly through digital channels.

Main Activities under the Pledge

The Product Safety Pledge focuses on practical cooperation and information handling for unsafe products sold online.

• Removing recalled or unsafe products from online listings
• Responding quickly to notifications from regulatory authorities
• Responding to reports from consumers or third parties
• Providing product safety information to sellers
• Preventing unsafe products from being re-listed
• Improving internal systems for product safety management
• Cooperating with authorities on product safety information

Products Where This Issue Often Arises

The pledge may become relevant to many consumer products sold online, especially where safety marks, warning labels, age restrictions, accident risks or recall information are important.

• Electrical appliances and products requiring PSE review
• Consumer products that may require PSC Mark confirmation
• Children’s products, toys and childcare products
• Gas appliances, heating products and combustion-related products
• Batteries, chargers, adapters and power supply products
• Products subject to recall or accident warning information
• Products sold directly from overseas suppliers through online platforms

Main Points to Check

• Is the product subject to Japanese product safety regulation?
• Does the product require a PSE Mark, PSC Mark or other safety label?
• Is the product listed as recalled or subject to safety warning information?
• Does the product have Japanese labels, warnings and instructions where required?
• Can the seller identify the importer, supplier, model number, lot and sales records?
• Is there a system to contact purchasers if a recall or warning becomes necessary?
• Can the seller respond if the marketplace or authority requests removal of the listing?
• Is the same unsafe product likely to be re-listed under another name or seller account?

Relationship with Import and Online Sales

When overseas products are sold in Japan, importers and sellers must confirm Japanese product safety requirements before listing the products online. Overseas legality or foreign certification does not automatically mean that the product can be sold in Japan.

Products sold through online marketplaces may still be subject to Japanese laws and safety systems, including PSE Mark requirements, PSC Mark requirements, product accident reporting, recall measures and labeling obligations.

Online sales can create wider and faster distribution than ordinary retail sales. If a product later turns out to be unsafe or non-compliant, the seller may need to stop listing, notify purchasers, arrange return or refund, cooperate with recall measures and respond to marketplace or authority requests.

Common Problems

• A seller lists overseas products without checking Japanese product safety laws.
• The product is recalled overseas or in Japan, but remains listed online.
• The product requires a PSE Mark or PSC Mark, but the listing does not confirm compliance.
• Foreign certification is treated as enough for Japanese online sales.
• Japanese warning labels or instructions are missing.
• The seller cannot identify the supplier, importer, model number, lot or sales route.
• A removed unsafe product is re-listed under a different product name or seller account.
• The seller relies only on the online marketplace and does not prepare its own recall response.

Practical Notes for Shipments to Japan

For shipments to Japan, overseas suppliers and origin-side forwarders should understand that online listing does not remove product safety obligations. A product may clear customs but still be removed from an online marketplace if it is recalled, unsafe, non-compliant or missing required safety information.

This is especially important for small-lot imports, EC sales, direct-to-consumer shipments and products sourced from overseas manufacturers or overseas EC sites. The Japanese seller should check product safety laws, safety marks, warnings, recall information and marketplace rules before listing the product.

Before shipment, it is useful to confirm whether the Japanese buyer has checked the Consumer Product Safety Act, PSE requirements, PSC requirements, recall status, labeling requirements and post-sale contact structure.

Relationship with Logistics and Customs

Forwarders and customs brokers are not expected to determine whether a product should be removed from an online marketplace. However, they should notice warning signs when cargo involves consumer products that may create fire, electric shock, choking, suffocation, burn, injury or other safety risks.

For logistics practice, this is partly a document-control issue. The invoice, packing list, catalogue, manual, product photos, rating label, warning label and marketplace listing information should not create conflicting impressions. If the product appears to be subject to Japanese product safety rules, the importer should be asked to confirm the regulatory position before sale.

Customs clearance alone does not mean that the product can safely remain listed online. A product may arrive in Japan but still face listing removal, sales suspension, recall action or platform enforcement if safety requirements are not satisfied.

Relationship with Recalls and Listing Removal

The Product Safety Pledge places particular importance on preventing recalled or unsafe products from continuing to be sold online. If a problem is found through information from authorities, consumers, third parties, marketplace monitoring or the seller’s own checks, the product listing may need to be removed quickly.

Importers and sellers should not wait only for marketplace action. They should continue to monitor whether their products are subject to recall, accident information, safety warnings or regulatory notices. If a product has already been sold, purchaser contact, return, refund, repair, warning or other recall-related measures may be required.

Relationship with PSE Mark, PSC Mark and Product Safety Laws

The Product Safety Pledge is closely connected with Japan’s wider product safety framework. Products sold online may also require review under the Consumer Product Safety Act, the Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Act, the Gas Business Act, the Household Goods Quality Labeling Act or other laws depending on the product type.

The PSE Mark and PSC Mark are especially important for many imported consumer products. If a product requires one of these marks but is sold online without proper confirmation, the seller may face listing removal, sales suspension, recall risk or administrative action.

Key Takeaway

The Product Safety Pledge is an important framework for online product safety in Japan. It is not a substitute for legal compliance, but it shows that importers, sellers and online marketplace operators are expected to prevent recalled, unsafe or non-compliant products from being sold online. Before listing imported products in Japan, sellers should confirm product safety laws, safety marks, recall status, labeling, warning information, sales records and post-sale response systems.