Answer: This is always their policy as a country that relies on imports for feeding their population. They don't believe in harmonization of regulation with other countries. 

Medhat, in his sly understated way has pretty much laid it out. The WTO regs have been rolled back to dismantle the whole system of tariff barriers. In place of those, many countries have erected new barriers to free trade, one of them being a system of strict regulations regarding ag & manufacturing practices in other countries. 

A perfect example of this: honey was pouring into the USA from China in the 1980s. Wholesale prices were at rock bottom, honey loan forfeitures at an all time high, some beekeepers went under (like me). Rather than institute tariff barriers, the government opted for checking for chloramphenicol, which appears to be in most Chinese honey.

Now, we all know that parts per billion of chloramphenicol in honey is harmless, but this has prevented millions of pounds of honey from getting dumped in the USA and the price of domestic honey is now at an all time high. Meanwhile, the honey is being shipped to second and third countries for laundering. 

It appears that some traders have developed methods for reducing contaminants below detectable levels (ultrafiltration) which makes it pass various tests, but renders it arguably NOT honey any more. At least, I wouldn't want it. One of the ironies is that the whole thing could be sidestepped if the Chinese stopped using chloramphenicol. 

In fact, I used to scratch my head every time I saw it mentioned. Why use that old fashioned antibiotic when there are others that do the same thing (control AFB) that are allowed in honey at certain ppb levels? Evidently the reason is that it is cheaper. What else is there to say? People try to save money by using prohibited drugs.

The short answer is that Japan may be using the high tolerances as a protectionist barrier to make their domestic products more cost attractive. Note, that I say may. There may be other reasons, as well.


Pete 

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