G/SPS/N/JPN/1164  
 
21 December 2022  
(22-9640) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES  
1. Notifying Member:  JAPAN  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries  
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 planting (originated in Thailand) of the following plants:  
Sweet pepper (chili pepper, shishito pepper, bell pepper) ( Capsicum annuum ), tomato 
(including Lycopersicon esculentum  (syn. Solanum lycopersicum ), Solanum arcanum , 
Solanum cheesmaniae , Solanum chilense , Solanum galapagense , Solanum peruvianum , 
Solanum pimpinellifolium ) 
− Live plants and plant parts being c apable of planting for cultivation (excluding seeds 
and fruits) (originated in Thailand) of the following plants:  
Gloxinia  (Seemannia ) gymnostoma , Gloxinia  (Seemannia ) nematanthodes , Gloxinia  
(Seemannia ) purpurascens , Columnea erythrophaea , Solanum stramoniifolium , 
sweet  pepper (chili pepper, shishito pepper, bell pepper) ( Capsicum annuum ), tomato 
(including Lycopersicon esculentum  (syn. Solanum lycopersicum ), Solanum arcanum , 
Solanum cheesmaniae , Solanum chilense , Solanum galapagense , Solanum peruvi anum , 
Solanum pimpinellifolium ), Nematanthus wettsteinii , Brunfelsia undulata  
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:  Emergency measures to mitigate the risk of introducing 
Columnea latent viroid  (CLVd) . Language(s):  English . Number of pages:   
6. Description of content:  To prevent the introduction of CLVd into Japan, the Ministry of 
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF) will require National Plant Protection 
Organizations (NPPO) of exporting countries to certify that:  
a) for seeds for planting originated in Thailand  
i) The samples randomly taken from parent plants and ones with suspected symptoms are 
tested by an appropriate genetic method such as RT -PCR assay and found to be free from 
Columnea latent viroid ; or 
ii) The seeds are tested prior to export by an appropriate genetic method such as RT -PCR 
assay and found to be free from Columnea latent viroid ; 4,600 seeds are randomly taken 
from a lot as samples in accordance with the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) 
procedures; or in case that the number of seeds of a lot is less than 46,000, 10% of the 
seeds are used for the testing; they are divided into at most 400 seeds as sub -samples.  
b) for live plants and plant parts for planting for cultivation originated in Thailand 
(excluding seeds and fruits):  
i) The pla nts randomly taken from a lot and plants with suspected symptoms are tested 
during the growing season or prior to export by an appropriate genetic method such as 
RT-PCR assay and found to be free from  Columnea latent viroid . G/SPS/N/JPN/1164  
 
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  Therefore, the NPPO of exportin g countries will be required to include an additional 
declaration stating that  
"Fulfills item 26 of the Annexed Table 2 -2 of the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Plant 
Protection Act (MAF Ordinance No. 73/1950). " 
7. Objective and rationale: [  ] food safet y, [ ] 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:  
CLVd potentially  poses a significant ri sk to agriculture in Japan. To prevent the introduction 
of CLVd into Japan, the emergency measures are to be applied to the import of host plants 
of CLVd. This is an urgent action before the revision of the Ordinance for Enforcement of 
the Plant Protection  Act based on the newly confirmed information that CLVd has been 
detected from host plants originated in Thailand (Tangkanchanapas, 2021; 
Tangkanchanapas et al, 2021).  
9. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the 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 
Anima l Health Code, chapter number) :  
[X] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) : IPPC 
Article  7, ISPM 1 and ISPM 20  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, w henever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
10. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:   
Table 2 -2, MAF Ordinance No. 73/1950 (online), available from 
<https://www.maff.go.jp/pps/j/law/houki/shorei/E_Annexed_Table2 -
2_from_20210428.html > 
Tangkanchanapas, P. (2021) Viroid -host interactions in Solanaceae (Doctoral dissertation, 
Ghent  University).  (online),  available  from 
<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/351121568_Viro id-
host_interactions_in_Solanaceae> , (accessed 2022 -10-27). 
Tangkanchanapas, P., A. Haegeman, M. Höfte and K. D. Jonghe (2021) Reassessment of 
the Columnea latent viroid  (CLVd) taxonomic classification. Microorganisms 9: 1117. 
(online), available from < https://www.mdpi.com/2076 -2607/9/6/1117> , (accessed 2022 -
10-27). 
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable):  
30 January 2023  
[ ] Trade facilitating meas ure  G/SPS/N/JPN/1164  
 
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  12. Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
Standards Information Service  
International Trade Division  
Economic Affairs Bureau  
Ministry of Foreign Affairs  
2-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda -ku 
Tokyo 100 -8919, Japan  
Tel: +(81 3) 5501 8344  
Fax: +(81 3) 5501 8343  
E-mail: enquiry@mofa.go.jp  
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
Standards Information Service  
International Trade Division  
Economic Affairs Bureau  
Ministry of Foreign Af fairs 
2-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda -ku 
Tokyo 100 -8919, Japan  
Tel: +(81 3) 5501 8344  
Fax: +(81 3) 5501 8343  
E-mail: enquiry@mofa.go.jp