. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/NZL/160
13 November 2001
(01-5759)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  NEW ZEALAND
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF)
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where
applicable).  Table grapes ( Vitis vinifera )  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to
the extent relevant or practicable:  United States of America (State of California)
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  MAF-RA-PL-20/16 Suspension of
Import health standard, commodity sub-cla ss:  fresh fruit and vegetables;  grapes Vitis vinifera
from the United States of America (State of California), 6 November 2001 (1 page) (Available
in English)
5. Description of content:  The legal document used to suspend the "Import health standard,
commodity sub-class:  fresh fruit and vegetables;  grapes Vitis vinifera from the United States
of America (State of California)" dated 25 June 2001.
6. Objective and rationale:  [     ] food safety,  [     ] animal health,  [     ] plant protection,
[ X ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  X ] protect territory from
other damage from pests           
7. Nature of the urgent problem(s): New Zealand has temporarily suspended the export trade
in Californian table grapes so that pest risk analyses can be undertaken on the exotic spiders
associated with this pathway, particularly Latrodectus  spp.  Appropriate measures to mitigate
the risks these regulated organisms pose to human health and the environment can then be
consulted on and agreed before implementation into the revised import health standard.
This decision has been made for the following reasons:1. The Ministry of Health and the Department of Conservation advised the Ministry of
Agriculture and Forestry that the current level of protection currently afforded in
the import health standard was not acceptable and no longer tenable given the
number of post-border interceptions of live regulated non-plant pests (e.g.Latrodectus mactans , (black widow spider - BWS) in Californian table grape
shipments.
2. A number of different species of exotic spiders, not just BWS, have been detected
post border and the efficacy of the current mandatory post harvest SO
2 and CO 2
fumigation is unknown against these spiders.G/SPS/N/NZL/160
Page 2
3. Risks that these exotic spiders pose to the environment (likelihood of establishment,
displacement of native species etc).
4. Increased risks to human health due to the numbers of BWS entering New Zealand
via the table grape pathway.
8. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [  X ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give its appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:           
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  None
10. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):  7 November 2001
11. Texts available from/and agency or authority designated to handle comments:
[ X ] National notification authority, [     ] National enquiry point or address, fax
number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  Mr Keawe Woodmore,
Coordinator, SPS New Zealand, PO Box 2526, 101-103 The Terrace, Wellington, New
Zealand.  Tel:   +64 4 474 4226;  Fax:   +64 4 470 2730;  E-mail:  sps@maf.govt.nz