RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE S/NGMTS/W/2/Add.3
20January 1995
ORGANIZATION
(95-0071)
Negotiating Group onMaritime Transport Services Original: English
COMMUNICATION FROM JAPAN
Response toQuestionnaire onMaritime Transport Services
ThefollowingcommunicationiscirculatedattherequestofJapantoMembersoftheNegotiating
Group onMaritime Transport Services.
_______________
I. Market structure
Vessels
1.
STRUCTURE OFNATIONALLY-OWNED OROPERATED FLEET (ASOFMID 1993)
Types ofvessels1Number ofvessels Deadweight Tonnage
National Flag Foreign Flag2National Flag Foreign Flag2
OilTankers 100 309 13,018,414 24,031,047
OreCarriers 60 23 10,038,150 3,132,758
CoalCarrier 6 0 556,372 0
Ore/Oil Carrier 4 4 748,380 749,003
Other DryCargo 170 1,372 5,083,409 40,153,095
Allvessels 340 1,708 29,444,725 68,065,903
1Vessels of2,000 grtandabove, excluding passenger, fishing andother non-commercial vessels.
2Foreign flagvessels chartered byJapanese service suppliers.
Trade
2. Cargoes (1993)
795,886,000 ton(99.8%), orY-52,658 billion (80.0%)
Passengers (1993)
187,000 persons (1.2%)S/NGMTS/W/2/Add.3
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3. Cargoes (1993)
Exports 91,019,000 ton(99.2%), orY-31,875 billion (81.7%)
Imports 704,867,000 ton(99.9%), orY-20,783 billion (77.7%)
Passengers (1993)
Japanese 102,000 persons (0.9%)
Foreigners 85,000 persons (2.3%)
4. (1993, inquantity)
Total 23.6%
Exports 4.7%
Imports 26.0%
*Nodataavailable interms ofvalue.
5. (1993, inquantity)
11.4% (Cross-trading bynational-flag vessels/Total trade carried bynational-flag vessels)
*Nodataavailable interms ofvalue.
Organization ofcargo
6. (1993)
Quantity Value
Drycargo 494,173,000 ton,or Y-47,886 billion
Liquid cargo 301,713,000 ton,or Y-4,773 billion
*Drycargo includes linercargo.
There isnodataavailable onlinershipping.
7. Nodataavailable.
8. Notapplicable.
*Japan isnotacontracting partytotheUnited Nations Code ofConduct forLiner Conferences.
9. Notapplicable.
*TheGovernment ofJapan hasnotentered intoanybilateral agreements oncargo-sharing.
10. (1993, inquantity)
86.8% (Containerized linercargo/Total linercargo)
*Nodataavailable interms ofvalue.
11. Nodataavailable.S/NGMTS/W/2/Add.3
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Ports andauxiliary services
12. Thetotalvolume ofinternational trade cargoes loaded orunloaded atthenational ports is
1,002.3 million freight ton,ofwhich theshare ofcontainerized cargo is12.9%. (1992)
13. Container station anddepot services: There arenoforeign suppliers.
Maritime Agency Services: There areforeign suppliers.
Maritime Freight Forwarding Services: There areforeign suppliers.
Maritime Cargo Handling Services: There arenoforeign suppliers.
Storage andWarehousing Services: There arenoforeign suppliers.
Customs Clearance Services: There areforeign suppliers.
Maintenance andrepair ofvessels: There areforeign suppliers.
*Foreign suppliers: More than50percentoftheequity interest isowned byforeign
persons.
14. No.
II. Regulatory structure
General
1. TheMinistry ofTransport isthesoleauthority which isincharge oftheinternational maritime
transport sector.
2. TheMarine Transportation Lawrequires anyperson whosupplies international tramp services
including international passenger tramp services tofilewiththeMinister ofTransport within 30days
afterthedateofthecommencement oftheservices.
However, foreign persons, firms ororganizations arenotsubject totherequirement.
3. TheMarine Transportation Lawrequires anyperson whointends tosupply international liner
services, either cargo orpassenger, tofilewiththeMinister ofTransport atleasttendaysprior to
thecommencement oftheservices.
However, foreign persons, firms ororganizations arenotsubject totherequirement.
4. TheFreight Forwarding Business Lawrequires anyperson whointends tosupply freight
forwarding services toobtain permission oftheMinister ofTransport.
5. ThePortTransportation Business Lawistheregulatory basisforporttransportation services
inthe96major ports inJapan specified inaCabinet Order suchasloading cargoes ontoashipor
unloading cargoes from aship, carriage ofcargoes into/from acargo handling place, handling or
safekeeping ofcargoes atacargo handling place.
Thelawrequires anyperson whointends tocarry outporttransportation business toobtain
permission oftheMinister ofTransport.S/NGMTS/W/2/Add.3
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Theapplication forthepermission, according tothelaw,willbeexamined inlightofwhether
thefollowing aremet:
(1) Thecommencement ofthebusiness shallnotcause oversupply oftheporttransportation
services,
(2) theapplicant hassuchfacilities andlabours asprescribed inaMinistry ofTransport
Ordinance,
(3) thebusiness planisappropriate toconduct thebusiness,
(4) thescope oftheresponsibility oftheperson whocarries outthebusiness isclear,
(5) thebusiness hasasound financial base.
6. There isnonational definition. Inthisresponse, theterm"international maritime transport"
isdefined asthecarriage ofcargo orpassenger byavessel between aJapanese portandaforeign port
orbetween foreign ports.
7. There isnonational definition.
Market access
8.(a) ThePortofTransportation Business Lawistheregulatory basisforporttransportation services
inthe96major ports inJapan specified inaCabinet Order suchasloading cargoes ontoashipor
unloading cargoes from aship, carriage ofcargoes into/from acargo handling place, handling or
safekeeping orcargoes atacargo handling place.
Thelawrequires anyperson whointends tocarry outporttransportation business toobtain
permission oftheMinister ofTransport.
Theapplication forthepermission, according tothelaw,willbeexamined inlightofwhether
thefollowing aremet:
(1) Thecommencement ofthebusiness shallnotcause oversupply oftheporttransportation
services;
(2) theapplicant hassuchfacilities andlabours asprescribed inaMinistry ofTransport
Ordinance;
(3) thebusiness planisappropriate toconduct thebusiness;
(4) thescope oftheresponsibility oftheperson whocarries outthebusiness isclear,
(5) thebusiness hasasound financial base.
(Please seetheanswer toquestion 1.5.)
8.(b) No.
8.(c) Notapplicable.
8.(d) (i) No.
(ii) No.
9.(a) No.
9.(b) No.
10. No.S/NGMTS/W/2/Add.3
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11. Thefollowing ships aredefined asJapanese vessels, which aregranted theright toflythe
Japanese flag:
(1) Ships owned bytheGovernment ofJapan oraJapanese public office;
(2) ships owned byaJapanese national;
(3) ships owned byajuridical person whose principal office islocated inJapan, andall
ofwhose representatives areJapanese nationals.
11.(a) No.
11.(b) No.
11.(c) Noother thanabove-mentioned.
National treatment
12.(a) No.
12.(b) No.
Access toanduseofportfacilities
13. Alloftheservices listed areavailable totheuseratallports inJapan.
14. Onlythepilotage services within some areas ofthePilotage-Districts designated byaCabinet
Order aremandatory.
15. Allofthose areavailable onanon-discriminatory basis.
16. According toArticle 3oftheShipLaw, noneother thanJapanese vessels areallowed tocall
atanyportwhich isnotopen toforeign commerce andnavigation, except where shehasobtained
permission ofthecompetent Minister.
17. No.
18. No.
19. No.
Most-favoured-nation treatment
20. No.
21. Notapplicable.
22. Notapplicable.
23. No.
24. No.S/NGMTS/W/2/Add.3
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25. According totheLawonSpecial Measure Against Unfavourable Treatment toJapanese
Oceangoing ShipOperators byForeign Government andOthers, restriction orprohibition of(a)entry
inJapanese ports and(b)loading orunloading ofcargoes inJapanese ports foradesignated period
maybeimposed asacountermeasure onvessels 'operators whobelong toacountry inwhich, despite
prior notification oftaking suchmeasures, interests ofJapanese operators continue tobesubstantially
damaged under unfavourable treatment imposed onthembythatcountry orbylocalauthorities orsimilar
entities ofthatcountry.
26. According totheFreight Forwarding Business Law, anoperation permit orgovernmental
registration forinternational freight forwarding services isgranted onlytothose firms ofthecountries
inwhich Japanese firms areeligible forsuchpermit orqualified forsuchregistration.
Government procurement
27. No.
28. No.
Competition Law
29. Article 28oftheMarine Transportation Lawprovides thatanagreement between ship-operators
onfreight ratesorother conditions oftransportation, routes, sailing and/or loading shallbeexempted
fromtheprovisions oftheActConcerning Prohibition ofPrivate Monopoly andMaintenance ofFair
Trade, unless ship-operators apply unfair method oftransaction orunduly increase freight rates or
other charges bysubstantively restricting competition inanyparticular fields oftransaction.
Article 29ofthelawstipulates thataship-operator whointends toenter intoormodify the
agreement prescribed inArticle 28isobliged tofiletheagreement inadvance withtheMinister of
Transport.
Article 30ofthelawprohibits ship-operators from doing thefollowing:
(1) Togiveunfair orunjustly discriminatory treatment onthebasisofthevolume ofcargo;
(2) togiveunduly preferential ordisadvantageous treatment toparticular persons, areas,
ormeans oftransportation;
(3) tocarry goods ataratehigher orlower thanthefiledtariff using falsebilling, false
classification, falseweighing, falsereport ofthequantity, oranyother unjust means;
(4) toenter intoanyagreement thatisunduly discriminatory ontheterms of
admission;
(5) toenterintoanyagreement thatestablishes unduly discriminatory freight ratesagainst
certain shippers orports, oragainst Japanese exporters;
(6) tobindashipper unduly bymeans ofdeferred rebate, ortoenter intoanyagreement
thatunduly binds ashipper bymeans ofdeferred rebate.
Shipping conferences
30. There isnosuchregulation concerning admission toorwithdrawal fromaparticular conference.
31. Please seetheanswer toquestion 29.S/NGMTS/W/2/Add.3
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32. Please seeparagraphs 2and3oftheanswer toquestion 29.
33. There isnosuchrequirement.
34. There arenosuch institutional arrangements andmeasures. (See theanswer to
question 29.)
Shipper/carrier relations
35. Nospecial arrangements exist.
36. There arenospecific requirements.