G/SPS/N/NZL/634  
 
24 July 2020  
(20-5096) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES  
1. Notifying Member:  NEW ZEALAND  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry for Primary Industries  
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):  Seeds for Sowing of Capsicum  spp. and Solanum lycopersicum  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or prac ticable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Import Health Standard 155.02.05: Seeds for Sowing . 
Language(s): English . Number of pages: 167 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/NZL/20_4477_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  This alert is for an amendment to the seeds for sowing import 
health standard. The amendment adds emergency measures to effectively manage the 
risk of Tomato mottle mosaic virus  (ToMMV) on the seed for sowing pathway for the hosts 
Capsicum spp. (pg 39 -40) and Solanum lycopersicum (133 -135). The import health 
standard describes import requirements for seeds for sowing imported into New Zealand.  
MPI's emergency measures to manage ToMMV on the seeds for sowing pathway are:  
The inclusion of ToMMV as a quaranti ne pest in the specific requirements for Capsicum  
and lycopersicum in the seeds for sowing import health standard. The requirement of a 
phytosanitary certificate additional declaration to certify that the seeds were either: 
Sourced from a ‘pest free area',  free from Tomato mottle mosaic virus; OR  Sourced from 
a ‘pest free place of production', free from Tomato mottle mosaic virus; OR  Officially 
tested, on a representative sample of a minimum of 3000 seeds officially drawn according 
to the ISTA or AOSA sampl ing methodology, using an NPPO -approved ELISA or 
NPPO -approved PCR testing method and found free from Tomato mottle mosaic 
virus.Testing is required to be completed offshore prior to export, or on arrival in 
New Zealand.  
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:  Emergency 
measures are being ad opted to prevent the introduction into New Zealand of Tomato 
mottle mosaic virus  (ToMMV), which is associated with the hosts Capsicum  spp. and 
Solanum lycopersicum imported as seeds for sowing. This decision is based on recent 
interceptions at the border of ToMMV on S. lycopersicum  seeds for sowing imported into 
New Zealand and a Pest Risk Assessment.  G/SPS/N/NZL/634  
 
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  9. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify th e 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 
number: 13  
[ ] 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:   
10. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:    
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable):  
24 July 2020  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:   
Mrs Sally Jennings, Coordinator, SPS  New Zealand  
PO Box 2526, Wellington, New Zealand  
Tel: +64 4 894 0431  
Fax: +64 4 894 0733  
E-mail: sps@mpi.govt.nz   
Website: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/importing/overview/access -and-trade -into-new-
zealand/world -trade -organization -notifications/  
13. Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
Mrs Sally Jennings, Coordinator, SPS  New Zealand  
PO Box 2526, Wellington, New Zealand  
Tel: +64 4 894 0431  
Fax: +64 4 894 0733  
E-mail: sps@mpi.govt.nz   
Website: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/importing/overview/access -and-trade -into-new-
zealand/world -trade -organization -notificatio ns/