G/SPS/N/CHN/1223  
 
16 July 2021  
(21-5663) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  CHINA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  General Administration of Customs, People's Republic of China  
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 of Solanum lycopersicum L. and Capsicum spp. 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners  The countries or regions where Tomato brown rugose fruit 
virus occurs.  
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Phytosanitary Requirements of Import  Solanum 
lycopersicum L. and Capsicum spp. Seeds . Language(s):  Chinese . Number of pages:  1 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2021/SPS/CHN/21_4613_00_x.pdf  
6. Description of content:  Tomato brown rugose fruit virus  (ToBRFV) is a quarantine pest 
of entry plants of China. According to the Law of the People's Republic of China on Entry 
and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine  and relevant regulations of its implementation 
regulations, Solanum lycopersicum L. and Capsicum spp. seeds exported to China from 
countries or regions where ToBRFV occurs should meet the following requirements:  
1. The Solanum lycopersicum L. and Capsicum spp. seeds exported to China come from 
ToBRFV pest free areas established according to ISPM No. 4 and officially recognized. 
The National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of the exporting country shall 
indicate in the attached statement of the phytosanitary certificate of goods that "this 
batch of XX seeds comes from ToBRFV pest free area"; Or  
2. According to the official investigation, ToBRFV did not occur in the planting areas and 
in the growing period of Solanum lycopersicum L. and Capsicum spp. seeds exported 
to China. For bulk goods, at least 3,000 representative  Solanum lycopersicum L. or 
Capsicum spp. seed samples (at least 10% for small bulk goods) were taken before 
export, and the seeds were detected by RT -PCR or real -time fluorescence RT -PCR for 
ToBRFV, and the results showed that they did not carry ToBRFV . In the additional 
statement of the phytosanitary certificate, it shall be stated that "the official 
investigation on ToBRFV has been conducted during the growing period, and ToBRFV 
has n ot occurred in the planting area. Before export, the seeds were detected by 
RT-PCR or real -time fluorescence RT -PCR and the results showed that they did not 
carry ToBRFV".  
7. Objective and rationale: [  ] food safety, [  ] animal health, [X]  plant protectio n, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [X]  protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   G/SPS/N/CHN/1223  
 
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  8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Co dex 
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 No. 11 
[ ] 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:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:    
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 20 September 2021  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 20 September 2021  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : 20 September 2021  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 14 September 2021  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notificati on 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
WTO/SPS National Notification and Enquiry Center of the People's Republic of China  
Tel: +(86 10 ) 5795 4645/5795  4642 
E-mail: sps@customs.gov.cn  
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
WTO/SPS National Notification and Enquiry Center of the People's Republic of China  
Tel: +(86 10 ) 5795 4645/5795  4642 
E-mail: sps@customs.gov.cn