. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/NZL/310 
29 October 2004 
 (04-4608) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd 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 numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):   Import requirements for Anthurium , Beaucarnea , Guzmania , Philodendron , 
Polyscias  and Tillandsia tissue culture from any country 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:   All 
countries  
5. Title, language and number of p ages of the notified document:  Import Requirements 
for Anthurium , Beaucarnea , Guzmania , Philodendron , Polyscias  and Tillandsia  (Available 
in English;  264 pages).  See: 
http://www.maf.govt.nz/bi osecurity/imports/plants/standards/155-02-06.pdf  
6. Description of content:  The import requirements for Anthurium , Beaucarnea , Guzmania , 
Philodendron , Polyscias  and Tillandsia  stipulates the requirements for the importation of 
nursery stock into New Zealand.  This  includes the pre-import requirements, 
documentation, phytosanitary certification requi rements, additional declarations to the 
phytosanitary certificate, inspection, tes ting and post-entry quarantine requirements. 
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. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:   The New Zealand MAF 
has diagnosed potential virus infections in th e named genera.  Affected plants displayed 
symptoms of virus infection and when tested by  MAF gave results consistent with infection 
by a member(s) of the genus Badnavirus .  These initial results require validation to confirm 
whether virus is truly present, for exampl e some badnaviruses integrate into the host 
genome and this can lead to false positives.  A dditional tests will be carried out in the next 
few weeks. MAF has reviewed its import requi rements and concluded that tissue culture of 
these genera to be held in quarantine for 4 weeks to enable inspection for symptomatic 
plants.  Once the additional validatory tests are complete this action will be reviewed. 
9. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:  
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [ X ] International Plant Protection Convention, [   ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:    G/SPS/N/NZL/310 
Page 2  
 
 10. Relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:   None 
11. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):   22 October 2004 
12. Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification 
authority, [   ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notification authority, [   ] National enquiry 
point,  or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: 
For further information contact Ms Sally Gri ffin, Coordinator, SPS New Zealand, PO Box 
2526, Wellington, New Zealand.  Tel: +64 4 474 4 140;  Fax:  +64 4 498 9888;  E-mail:  
sps@maf.govt.nz.