G/SPS/N/JPN/684  
 
3 October 2019  
(19-6387) Page: 1/3 
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):  Plants and plant products  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specifi c regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Proposed revision of the Ordinance for Enforcement of 
the Plant Protection Act about Phytosanitary Certificate . Language(s):  English . Number 
of pages:  3 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2019/SPS/JPN/19_5390_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  Japan prohibits the import of any plants which are not 
accompanied by Phytosanitary Certificate (PC) issued by the National Plant Protection 
Organization (NPPO) of exporting countries based on Article 6 of the Japanese Plant 
Protection Act (Act No. 151 of 1950) except for plants specified in the Ordinance for 
Enforcement of the Plant Protection Act (Ordinance No. 73 of the Ministry of Agriculture 
and Forestry, 1950).  
The recently conducted risk assessment showed that plants which have undergone certain 
processing such as drying and shredding etc. have a low risk of attaching quarantine 
pests.  
Therefore, Japan has determined to specify some plants which are unnecessary  to be 
accompanied by PC in the amended Ordinance for Enforcement of the Plant Protection Act 
(please check the notified document).  
In addition, as a pragmatic approach, Japan has exceptionally inspected some plants not 
specified in the Ordinance imported by freight which are not accompanied by PC, and 
accepted to import if those plants pass the inspection. However, considering the recent 
reports that some serious quarantine pests have entered into Japan such as White Potato 
Cyst Nematode ( Globodera pallida ) and Plum Pox Virus, Japan has decided to stop the 
above mentioned exception in order to reduce the entry risks of such pests.  
Japan would request NPPO of WTO Members to inform those who have an intention to 
export plants to Japan after June 2020 (six mon ths after the amended Ordinance comes 
into force) that it will be necessary to accompany PC for plants that are not specified in the 
amended Ordinance.  G/SPS/N/JPN/684  
 
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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. 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 
Paragraph 2(a) of Articles 5 and 7, and ISPM N° 7 and 12  
[ ] 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:  
The legal basis of the Ordinance is derived from the Plant Protection Act. This revision will 
be published in "Kampo" (Official Government Gazette), available in Japanese. 
The relevant information is available in E nglish from Japan's Plant Protection Station 
website at: http://www.pps.go.jp/english/index.html . 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : As soon as possible after the final date for 
the comment period . 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : As soon as possible after the final date for 
the comment period.  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : The amended Ordinance will come into force right after the date of 
adoption (December 2019).  
After six months from the entry into force of the amended Ordinance, Japanese NPPO will 
prohibit importation of any plants which are not accompanied by PC, unless not specified in 
the amended Ordinance.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 2 December 2019  
Agency or autho rity designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
International Trade Division  
Economic Affairs Bureau  
Ministry of Foreign Affairs  
2-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda -ku 
Tokyo 100 -8919, Japan  
Fax: +(81 3) 5501 8343  
E-mail: enquiry@mofa.go.jp  G/SPS/N/JPN/684  
 
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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 ot her body:   
International Trade Division  
Economic Affairs Bureau  
Ministry of Foreign Affairs  
2-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda -ku 
Tokyo 100 -8919, Japan  
Fax: +(81 3) 5501 8343  
E-mail: enquiry@mofa.go.jp