G/SPS/N/JPN/1199  
25 April 2023  
(23-2933) 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 (MAFF)  
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):  Underground parts of the live plants being capable of planting for 
cultivation of Indian laurel ( Ficus microcarpa ) 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[ ] All trading partners   
[X] Specific regions or countries:  Antigua and Barbuda; Barbados; Benin; Brazil; 
Burkina Faso; China  (excluding Hong Kong, China); Costa Rica; Côte  d'Ivoire; Cuba; 
Dominica; Dominican Republic; Grenada; Guatemala; Haiti; India; Jamaica; Kenya; 
Malawi; Mexico; Mozambique; Niger; Nigeria; Portugal; Saint Kitts and Nevis; 
Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Senegal; South Africa; Sri Lanka; 
Switzerland; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; Togo; Trinidad and Tobago; United States of 
America  (excluding Hawaiian Islands); Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of; Viet Nam; 
Bahamas;  including United States Virgin Islands, Aruba, Anguilla, British Virgin 
Islands, Curacao, Guadalupe, Cayman Islands, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, 
Turks and Caicos Islands, Puerto Rico, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Martinique, 
and Montserrat  
5. Title of the notified document:  Emergency measures to mitigate the risk of in troducing 
Meloidogyne enterolobii . Language(s):  English . Number of pages:   
6. Description of content:  To prevent the introduction of Meloidogyne enterolobii into 
Japan, the MAFF will require National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPO) of exporting 
countries to certify that:  
For Underground parts of the live plants being capable of planting for cultivation of 
Ficus microcarpa : 
i) The plants are grown at a place of production or a production site (including a plant 
growth facility) where M. enterolobii  has not been known to occur or was known to 
occur previously but has been eradicated; and  
ii) The plants are inspected at the place of production or the production site during the 
growing season, and the growing medium and the underground parts of the plants are 
examined by an appropriate nematological test and found to be free from 
M. enterolobii . 
Therefore, the NPPO of exporting countries will be required to include an additional 
declaration stating that " Fulfills item 8 of the Annexed Table 1 -2 of the Ordinance for 
Enforcement of the Plant Protection Act (MAF Ordinance No. 73/1950) ". 
Please note that the revision of the  Ordinance for Enforcement of the Plant Protection Act 
(MAF Ordinance No73/1950) will become effective on 1 August 2023, and the additional 
declaration should be " Fulfills item 13 of the Annexed Table 2 -2 of the Ordinance for 
Enforcement of the Plant Prote ction Act (MAF Ordinance No73/1950) " from 1 August 2023.  G/SPS/N/JPN/1199  
 
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  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:  
M. enterolobii  potentially poses a significant risk to agriculture in Japan. To prevent the 
introduction of M. enterolobii  into Japan, the emergency measures are to be applied to the 
import of F. microcarpa . This is an urgent action before the enforcement of the revision of 
the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Plant Protection Act as M. enterolobii  was isolated 
from underground parts, including nematode galls of F. microcarpa  live plants during t he 
import inspection. M. enterolobii  was identified using molecular and morphological method.  
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 
Animal 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, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
10. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:   
− Table 1 -2, MAF Ordinance No. 73/1950 (until 31 July 2023) (online), available from 
https://www.maff.go.jp/pps/j/law/houki/shorei/E_Annexed_Table 1-
2_from_20230401.html  
− Table 2 -2, MAF Ordinance No. 73/1950 (from 1 August 2023) (online), available from 
https://www.maff.go.jp/pps/j/law/houki/shorei/E_An nexed_Table2 -
2_from_20230801.html  
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable):  
29 May 2023  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
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  G/SPS/N/JPN/1199  
 
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  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 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