G/SPS/N/TPKM/491  
 
30 April 2019  
(19-2940) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  THE SEPARATE CUSTOMS  TERRITORY OF TAIWAN , PENGHU, 
KINMEN AND MATSU  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, 
Council of Agriculture  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable ): Growing media used for plant planting  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Draft of the "Quarantine Requirements for the 
Importation of Growing Media" . Language(s):  English . Number of pages:  3 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2019/SPS/TPKM/19_2542_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  For the importation of growing media such as peat moss, peat, 
bark, snakewood, sphagnum, moss, coconut coir or other products used for plant 
planting, the imp orter or its representing agent must provide a phytosanitary certificate 
issued by the plant quarantine authority of the exporting country. In addition, based on 
different types of growing media, there will be different quarantine requirements that 
need to  be complied with.  
7. Objective and rationale: [  ] food safety, [  ] animal health, [X]  plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international stand ard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[X] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) : ISPM N°  2, 
32  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
inter national standard:   G/SPS/N/TPKM/491  
 
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  9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Draft of 
the "Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Growing Media", Nong Shou Fang Zi 
No. 1081493246A dated  25 March  2019) can be found at: http://www.coa.gov.tw/  
(available in Chinese) . 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 29 June 2019  
Agency or authority designat ed to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:   
Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, Council of Agriculture  
9F, No.100, Sec. 2, Heping W. Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei City, 10070, Taiwan  
Tel: +(886) 2 3343 2091  
Fax: +(886) 2 2332 2200  
E-mail: wtosps@mail.baphiq.gov.tw  
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, Council of Agriculture  
9F, No.100, Sec. 2, Heping W. Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei City, 10070, Taiwan  
Tel: +(886) 2 3343 2091 
Fax: +(886) 2 2332 2200  
E-mail: wtosps@mail.baphiq.gov.tw