International Trade Policies: Japan

Last updated – April 2025

The United States (U.S.) has an organic equivalence arrangement with Japan. The equivalence arrangement grants USDA certified organic products access to Japan’s market and grants Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS) certified organic products access to the U.S. market. This means that organic products certified to either the USDA or Japan organic standards may be labeled and sold as organic in both countries, as long as the products meet the terms of the arrangement.

Scope. This equivalence arrangement is limited to country-to-country trade. For U.S. exports to Japan, it is limited to products certified to the USDA organic regulations that are produced or have had their final processing occur within the U.S. For Japan exports to the U.S., it is limited to products certified to the Japan organic regulations that are produced or have had their final processing occur in Japan.

Allowed product categories: Crops, Wild Crops, Livestock, and Processed Products.

Terms of the Arrangement. Generally, USDA and Japan certified organic products are eligible for trade under this equivalence, but there are some stipulations.

The following are additional requirements for JAS-certified organic products exported to the U.S.:

  • Agricultural products derived from animals treated with antibiotics shall not be sold, labeled, or represented as organic in the U.S.
  • Crops or products using crops “in transition to organic” shall not be marketed in the U.S. This includes livestock products from animals fed “in transition to organic” livestock feed.

The following are additional requirements for USDA-certified organic products exported to Japan:

  • “Made With Organic” (MWO) products are not covered under the arrangement; all organic products exported under the arrangement must be 95% organic content or greater. Products in the 100% organic category must be labeled “organic.”
  • This equivalence covers only USDA organic products that fall under the scope of the Japan organic regulations. Organic products that are not regulated under the Japan organic regulations, yet are certified by a USDA accredited certifier can be exported to Japan under the conditions of Section II.E., Appendix I of the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries (MAFF) equivalence letter of September 20, 2013 (pdf)

Trade Documentation.

Exports of USDA Organic Products. Products exported to Japan that fall under the scope of the arrangement must be accompanied by a USDA Export Certificate, Form TM-11 (pdf), issued by a USDA accredited certifier. The export certificate must include the following statement:

“Certified in compliance with the terms of the US-Japan Organic Equivalence Arrangement.”

For products going to Japan, the last operator in the supply chain must be entered in the “Producer” box of the TM-11.

Export certificates are not required for organic products not regulated by the JAS law.

U.S. Imports of Japan Organic Products. Japan organic products that fall under the scope of the arrangement must be associated with an NOP Import Certificate. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF)-accredited certification bodies generate NOP Import Certificates in USDA’s GLOBAL Organic Integrity Database (Global Integrity). Operations that export products from Japan to the U.S. under the organic equivalence arrangement are also listed in Global Integrity under the Trade Partners tab. The NOP Import Certificate must include the following attestation statement:

“Certified in compliance with the terms of the U.S.-Japan Organic Equivalency Arrangement.”

Labeling. Products traded under this arrangement may use the USDA or the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) organic seal and must meet the labeling requirements in the destination country. Labeling requirements: U.S. | Japan

Use of the JAS organic seal. Any plant-based products, livestock products, and processed products containing plant and livestock ingredients sold or labeled as organic in Japan must be labeled with the JAS organic seal. See the Frequently Asked Questions document below for specific rules on using the JAS seal.

Oversight. The NOP and MAFF assess each other’s systems on a regular basis to ensure that the terms of the arrangement are being met and equivalence is maintained. Both parties notify each other of any changes which could affect the terms of the arrangement. Any concerns are addressed by the Organic Working Group, which includes experts from both countries that meet regularly.

Peer Reviews. Since the establishment of the U.S.-Japan Equivalence Arrangement, the NOP and MAFF have conducted mutual peer reviews. These assessments verify that both markets are meeting the terms of the arrangement.

Peer Review Reports:

Historical Documents

Resources