JP — Designation of PFOA-Related Substances as Class I Specified Chemical Substances under the CSCL

Under the Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL), the Japanese government is progressively designating isomers or salts of PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and related substances as Class I Specified Chemical Substances, in response to decisions under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs Convention), prohibiting their manufacture, import, and use in principle. While PFOA itself was already banned, regulation has now expanded to cover "PFOA-related substances" (such as perfluorooctyl iodide) that may degrade into PFOA, requiring significant substitution efforts in fluoropolymer processing, water/oil repellents, and anti-reflective coatings for semiconductors.