G/SPS/N/JPN/1017  
 
9 May 2022  
(22-3630) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
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):  Plant and plant products  
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:  The amendment of the Plant Protection Act . 
Language(s):  . Number of pages:   
6. Description of content:   
1. In order to harmonize the phytosanitary measures with lSPMs, Japan amended the 
Plant Protection Act as follows:  
i. To introduce measures that allow items such as agricultural machinery to be made 
subject to import/export quarantine. Specific quarantine requirements for the 
items will be notified by the Ordinance for En forcement of the Plant Protection Act 
in due course;  
ii. To introduce measures that allow an entity authorised by the MAFF to conduct a 
part of the export inspection on behalf of plant protection officers if the importing 
country requires the plant or other it em being exported from Japan to have 
phytosanitary certification;  
2. In order to strengthen legal authority of plant protection officers and heighten the 
penalty for violation against the provisions of import and export quarantine, Japan 
amended the Plant Pro tection Act as follows:  
i. To authorize plant quarantine officers to address questions to passengers of 
embarkation/disembarkation and to inspect their baggage for plants and other 
items;  
ii. To establish new fines of "up to 300,000 yen" for passengers who do not  comply 
with the provision above 2.i.;  
iii. To raise the fines for violation against the provisions of import and export 
quarantine such as bringing illegal plants in Japan: in case of an individual, from 
"up to 1,000,000 yen" to "up to 3,000,000 yen", and in c ase of a corporate body, 
from "up to 1,000,000 yen" to "up to 50,000,000 yen".  
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.   G/SPS/N/JPN/1017  
 
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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 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 No. 41 
and 45  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevan t 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:  
These  amendments are to be published in MAF F's webpage   
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/syouan/shokukaisei.html  
(available in Japanese)  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 22 April 2022  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 2 May 2022  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : Date specified by Cabinet Order not exceeding one year.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 8 July 2022  
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:   
Japan Enquiry Point  
International Trade Division  
Economic Affairs Bureau  
Ministry of Foreign Affairs  
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:   
Japan Enquiry Point  
International Trade Division  
Economic Affairs Bureau  
Ministry of Foreign Affairs  
Fax: +(81 3) 5501 8343  
E-mail: enquiry@mofa.go.jp