Japan toughens rules on products sold online by foreign sellers

Under the new rules, Japan will now require overseas businesses to appoint a domestic supervisor

Basically Japan want to have their own share for those items.

According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, there were 103 serious accidents involving products purchased online in 2022, about six times the figure from 2013

Now give us the number of purchases in 2013 vs 2022!

I am willing to bet the number of items purchased in 2020 far exceeds six times the number purchased in 2013!

I am not saying increasing the verification that these items are safe isn't a good idea, I would just like to know if 6 times the accidents is really six times based on purchases.

If the volume of purchases in 2022 is 20 times that if 2013 then that would actually mean a decrease in percentage of accidents.

Another question is how do they actually plan in enforcing this new law?

I have bought several items from foreign companies/sellers. The cost of shipping was less than Japan's PO postage. I have experienced no problems—careful checking of the seller.

Such rules are designed to stop consumers from purchasing from abroad, as foreign sellers will just stop sending to Japan. It allows the government to cut off your access to anything they want to block, specifically anything new. The tribe can only have what the tribe is permitted to have. It's another example of the RotW following Chinese restrictions. It may impact quite heavily upon ex-pats buying completely harmless stuff from their home countries.

Safety standards are fine, but how does this help anything:

‘In the case of a violation, the name of the person responsible in Japan for the product will also be made public.’

?

Mr.Jon Brown is responsible for the faulty toasters made in China that caught fire!

So what? He changes his business name and sells gas cookers.

Tho old fogeys in the Diet can make laws that ‘govern’ but not so good at making laws which ‘allow’

Why is China the first thing that comes to mind? Thanks Temu...

just curious, how does ebay work under this new scheme?

i've noticed by shopping online from overseas sellers over the years that taxing by japan is erratic and inconsistent. of course, items purchased from sellers in japan is taxed properly, and the burden of seeing that this is done is on the japanese merchant. i guess the REAL purpose of this law is to get all taxes collected and make it the merchant's job, not the customs inspector's.

Well Well Dinosaurs Politicians Again

Good. The muck coming in from China is terrible. Sliced my finger open on some stainless products a couple of months back, workmanship was a disgrace, packaging was far from sustainable. Ban it all. Ban China.