G/SPS/N/USA/3246  
18 May 2021  
(21-4177) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)  
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):  Marine Vessels  
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:  Proposed Revisions to APHIS Guidance Document: 
Special Procedures for Ships Arriving from Areas with Asian Gypsy Moth (AGM)  - 
modifications to specified risk periods in Japan , Russia, Republic of Korea and China . 
Language(s):  English . Number of pages:  7 
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/gypsy_moth/downloads/revis
ed-special -procedures -ships-arriving -areas -agm.pdf  
6. Description of content:  Description of content:  
APHIS is revising its Guidance document on Special Procedures for Ships Arriving from 
Areas with Asian Gypsy Moth (AGM)  to reflect proposed changes to specified risk periods 
(SRPs) as noted in the North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO) Position 
Document on Asian gypsy moth (AGM) specified risk periods in Japan, Russia, Republic 
of Korea and China. The APHIS p roposed changes are based on regional scientific and 
technical analysis conducted by the Asian gypsy moth Expert Group of the North American 
Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO), which includes APHIS as one of its members.  
The Asian gypsy moth Expert Grou p of the North American Plant Protection Organization 
(NAPPO) has reviewed the specified risk periods (SRPs) for the AGM species complex in 
all AGM regulated countries (China, Japan, Republic of Korea, and Russia). Following a 
review of available data and consultations with AGM -regulated countries, revisions to the 
SRPs are proposed for Japan and Russia which include:  
• Adjustments to the SRP regions and extending the SRP start and end dates for some 
regions in Japan.  
• Extending the SRP start and end date in R ussia.  
• A reduction in the total number of specified risk periods from six to four.  
Based on available data, there are no changes to the SRPs for the Republic of Korea or 
China at this time.  G/SPS/N/USA/3246  
 
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  For vessels which call on ports in North America, the revision to the SRPs mean that the 
time period where AGM certification is required for vessels that have called on ports in 
Japan and Russia has been increased/lengthened. Implementation of changes to the SRPs 
is planned to begin in 2022.   
APHIS will finalize the upd ates to the Guidance document Special Procedures for Ships 
Arriving from Areas with Asian Gypsy Moth (AGM)  to reflect the changes to the SRPs by 
November 2021.  
Countries in which a marine shipping industry operates will be the most affected as any 
vessels destined to the U.S. that called on ports in Japan, far -east Russia, China and the 
Republic of Korea during the Specified Risk Period (SRP) for Asian gypsy moth (AGM) will 
need to comply with the revised SRP dates. AGM -regulated countries will be the most 
affected as their inspection and certification bodies will need to adjust to accommodate 
increased workload due to the expansion of the SRPs in far east Russia and Japan.  
7. Objective and rationale: [  ] food safety, [  ] animal health, [X]  plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [X]  protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial num ber of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[X] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  North 
American Plant Protection Organization Position Document on Asian gypsy moth (AGM) 
specified risk periods in Japan, Russia, Republic of Korea and China (open for consultation 
from 17 May - 16 July 2021):  
https://nappo.org/english/country -consultation -2021/NAPPO -POSITION -DOCUMENT  
Current APHIS Special Procedures for Ships Arriving from Areas with Asian Gypsy Moth 
(AGM) : 
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/gypsy_moth/downloads/AGM
_Procedures.pdf  
The final revised guidance will appear on the APHIS web site by November 2021 when 
adopted (available in English):  
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth /plant -pest-and-disease -
programs/pests -and-diseases/gypsy -moth (available in English)  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 1 November 2021  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 1 November 2021  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : 1 January 2022  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   G/SPS/N/USA/3246  
 
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  12. Final date for comments: [  ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 17 July 2021  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [  ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:   
Dr. Ingrid Asmundsson  
National Program Manager for Asian Gypsy Moth Offshore Vessel Program  
Preclearance and Offshore Programs, PPQ, APHIS  
4700 River Road  
Riverdale, MD 20737  
Tel: +(301) 851 2235  
Email: ingrid.m.asmundsson@usda.gov  
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [  ] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number an d e-mail address (if available) of other body:   
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/gypsy_moth/downloads/revis
ed-special -procedures -ships-arriving -areas -agm.pdf