G/SPS/N/JPN/998  
 
25 April 2022  
(22-3272) 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):  Live plants and plant parts for planting (excluding fruit) and seeds for 
planting of the following plants:  bitter gourd (bal sam pear) ( Momordica charantia ), hybrid 
of Cucurbita maxima  x Cucurbita moschata  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[ ] All trading partners   
[X] Specific regions or countries:  Australia ; Brazil ; China (excluding Hong Kong, 
China) ; Chinese Taipei ; Costa Rica ; Guam ; Greece ; Hungary ; India; Indonesia ; 
Israel ; Italy; Republic of Korea ; Nigeria ; Northern Mariana Islands ; Serbia ; 
South  Africa ; Thailand ; Turkey ; United States of America (excluding Hawai ian 
Islands)  
5. Title of the notified document:  Emergency measures to prevent Acidoborax avenae 
subsp. citrulli (Aac) from entering Japan through the importation of seeds and plants of 
host plants of Aac . Language(s):  English . Number of pages:  ３ 
6. Description of content:  In order to prevent Aac from entering 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, either:  
i) the parent plants are grown from seeds disinfected against this pest or known to be 
free from this pest.  
and 
the parent plants and fruits (for producing seeds) at a place of production or a 
production site (including a plant growth facility) are inspected (including laboratory 
testing of any suspicious symptoms) during fruit maturity stage before harvesting and 
found free from Aac; or  
ii) the seeds are tested prior to export by an appropriate genetic method such as LAMP 
assay or PCR assay or grow -out method and  found to be free from Aac; 30,000 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 300,000, 10% of the seeds are used for the testing.  
b) for live plants and plant parts for planting (excluding seeds and fruits):  
i) seeds must be ensured to be free from Aac based on either of the following specific 
requirement (a) or (b);  
Either  
(a) Parent plants and fruits (for producing seeds) at a place of production or a production 
site (including a plant growth facility) are inspected (including laboratory testing of any 
suspicious symptoms) during fruit maturity stage before harvesting and found  free G/SPS/N/JPN/998  
 
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  from Aac;  
or 
(b) Seeds are tested by an appropriate genetic method such as LAMP assay or PCR assay 
or grow -out method and found free from Aac;  
and 
ii) The plants are grown using the seeds at a place of production or production site 
(including a plant growth facility) where the control measures against Aac are carried 
out; 
and 
iii) Prior to export, the plants are inspected if signs or symptoms are present and found 
free from Aac.  
In addition, the NPPO will be required to declare as below in the column of Additional  
declaration of Phytosanitary Certificate.  
"Fulfills item 19 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 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:  Aac is one of the 
most serious pests for Japan. In order to pre vent Aac from entering Japan, an additional 
declaration is to be provided in Phytosanitary Certificate for the import of seeds and plants 
of host plants of Aac. This is the urgent action before the revision of the Ordinance for 
Enforcement of the Plant Pro tection Act based on the newly confirmed information that Aac 
were detected from bitter gourd (balsam pear) ( Momordica charantia ), hybrid of Cucurbita 
maxima  x Cucurbita moschata . 
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 and ISPM 1  
[ ] 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  2-2, MAF Ordinance No. 73/1950  
https://www.maff.go.jp/pps/j/law/houki/shorei/E_Annexed_Table2 -
2_from_20210428.html  
(available in English)  
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable):  
30 May 2022  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   G/SPS/N/JPN/998  
 
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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