. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/MEX/165
4 September 2000
(00-3447)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  Spanish
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  MEXICO
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
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):  Citrus .  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable:  All those exporting these products to Mexico.
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Decision Applying the National
Emergency Mechanism as Provided for in Article 46 of the Federal Plant Health Law forthe Purpose of Confining, Eradicating and Preventing the Spread of Black Citrus Aphid,
Toxoptera citricida  and Citrus Quick Decline (Tristeza) Disease in the Areas of the Country
where these Pests have been Detected (6 pages)
5. Description of content:  The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SAGAR) is
responsible for drawing up and establishing phytosanitary measures to prevent the entry into
the country of agricultural pests and to confine, control or eradicate them.
Citrus farming is very important to the Mexican economy, with 485,000 hectares
under cultivation, as well as being a major factor in employment and foreign-exchange
earnings for the country.
SAGAR will theref ore strengthen the regulations governing the importation and
movement within the country of citrus plants, products and by-products in order to confine
the above-mentioned pests and detain, reject or destroy such products when these pests are
detected.
In order to avert the introduction, establishment and spread of these pests to other
citrus-growing areas in the country, the necessary phytosanitary measures should be applied
in the PVIs and Agricultural Health Inspection Offices (OISA);  and citrus tristeza disease
(CTD) and black citrus aphid must be continuously monitored in the quarantine areas as
well as adjoining areas;
The measures provided for in this Decision apply to citrus plants for planting or
propagation purposes, citrus shoots (propagative and/or genetic material for research
purposes), oranges, grapefruits, pomelos, lemons, limes, mandarins, including tangarines
and satsumas, clementines, wilkings and similar citrus hybrids ( citrus spp, Ponsirus spp and
Fortunella spp).G/SPS/N/MEX/165
Page 2
6. 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           
7. Nature of the urgent problem(s):  CTD is a viral disease susceptible to quarantine and
characterized by chlorosis, and curling, wilt an d falling of leaves, poor quality fruit, fluting
of branches and stems or blight of stems, and/or death of plants according to the variant of
the virus, and is highly aggressive towards the bitter orange ( Citrus aurantium), macrophyla
(Citrus macrophyla ) and the Mexican lime ( Citrus aurantifolia ).
In Mexico, about 90 per cent of commercial plantations are grafted on citrus
aurantium rootstock, which is considered very susceptible to CTD.
Black citrus aphid, Toxoptera citricida is a major quarantine pest.  The insect is
dark brown, forms colonies with wingless females and winged adults which are primarily
found in the soft shoots, influorescence and small fruit.  They cause damage by sucking out
nutrients from the affected parts;  their main importance stems from the fact that they arethe most efficient vector of CTD.
Viral diseases such as CTD and its vector pose a serious threat to Mexican citrus
farming by gradually lowering the quality and yield of fruit and causing the death of citrus
plants.
The monitoring, sampling and phytosanitary diagnoses carried out by SAGAR have
revealed outbreaks of black citrus aphid in some marginal areas of Yucatán and Quintana
Roo states, and there is a high incidence of CTD in the state of Baja California.
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:  Diario Oficial de la
Federación (Official Journal) 27 July 2000 (available in Spanish)
10. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):  On the day following
publication (28 July 2000)
11. Texts available from/and agency or authority designated to handle comments:
[    ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point or address, fax
number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Website:  http://www.secofi.gob.mx/dgn1.html (Standards Catalogue)