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 Disclaimer : This is a provisional translation of the standard procedure (Last updated: 22 
March 2023)  written in Japanese . Only the Japanese text is legally  authentic. This translation 
is prepared solely as a reference material to aid in understanding the Japanese text.  
 
Official  Directive  No.5 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries  (MAFF ). 
 
22 March 2023  
Tetsuro u Nomura,  Minister  of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries   
    
Standard Procedure for Lifting a Ban on Importation of Plants into Japan  
 
Article 1  
Objective  
 
The objective  of this Official Directiv e is to establish standard procedures in the Ministry 
of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries when it receives a request from a countr y to lift a ban 
on importation of plant s of which Japan has prohibit ed import (hereinafter referred to as 
“import -prohibited plants”)  in accordance with  item(i) of Paragraph 1 of  Article 7 of the 
Plant Protection Act (Act No. 151 of 1950, hereinafter referred to as " the Act") and item(i) 
of Article 9 of the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Plant Protection Act (Ordinance of 
the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry No. 73 of 1950 , hereinafter referred to as " the 
Ordinance "), and  thereby to ensure fairness and increase transparency of the procedures 
while taking into account relevant international standards . 
 
Article 2  
Definition  
 
For the purpose of  this Official Directive, following definition s shall apply in addition to 
those defined in the Act: 
(1) “Plant Quarantine Authorit y (PQA) ” means the Plant Protection Division  of the  Food 
Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau and the Plant Protection Station s of the Ministry of 
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries ; and 
(2) “Risk assessment ” means the evaluation  of probability that harmful animals or harmful 
plants  (hereinafter referred to as “pests”) are introduced and spread in Japan and    
 
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 magnitude of associated potential  economic consequences ; and 
(3) “Requesting country" means the country that intends to request or has requested lifting 
a ban on the importation of import  prohibited  plants ; and 
(4) “Risk management measures ” means the measures taken to reduce the risk of introduction 
of quarantine pests in Japan that are referred to in Paragraph 1 of Article 5 -2 of the Act; 
and 
(5) “Conditions for lifting the ban" means procedures etc. for implementing  the risk 
management measures that Japan requires a country  in importing  import  prohibited 
plants . 
 
Article 3  
Acknowledgement of Request  
 
When a requesting country submit s a letter on the request for lifting a ban on import ation  
of import -prohibited plants  and information necessary  for the consideration of risk 
assessment and risk management measures, PQA accepts  the request , notify the requesting 
country of  the acceptance,  and make it public  on the website of MAFF without delay.  
 
Article 4  
Identification of Pests Subject to Consultation  
 
1. PQA  should identify pests that may be subject to phytosanitary measures pertaining to 
the request , based on the information submitted  pursuant to  the preceding Article.  
 
2. PQA should conduct risk assessment of the pests identified pursuant to  the provision of 
the preceding paragraph when  it is deemed  to be necessary.  
 
3. When  PQA finds  that the information necessary  for the identification or the risk 
assessment  of pests  is insufficient in the processes referred  to in the preceding two 
paragraphs , PQA should endeavor to collect  necessary  information through processes such 
as requesting materials to the requesting country.  
 
4. Based on the result of risk assessment of Paragraph 2, PQA should identify , among the 
pests  identified pursuant to the provision of Paragraph 1 , pests  that require consultation s 
with the requesting country concerning risk management measures (hereinafter referred to 
as "pests subject to consultation").     
 
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5. PQA should make the pests subject to consultation and  the other quarantine pests 
pertaining to the request public on the web site of MAFF.  
 
Article  5 
Development of Risk Management Measures  
  
1. PQA should  request the requesting country to submit materials  pertaining to risk 
management measures for the pests subject to consultation and  develop  risk management 
measures that are scientifically recognizable  as to be able to sufficiently reduce the risk of 
introduction  into Japan , through  consultations with the  requesting country, while taking 
into account  international standards.  
 
2. PQA should  request the requesting country to submit the plan for test or survei llance 
concerning the risk management measures , when deems it necessary during the process of 
the preceding paragraph . When the plan is found  appropriate , PQA should request  the 
requesting country  to submi t the result  of its implementation  and other related materials . 
 
3. If PQA founds  through the process of Paragraph 1 that information necessary for  the 
development of risk management measures is insufficient , it should endeavor t o collect  the 
information  through processes such as requesting materials  from the requesting country  
or conducting on -site investigation.  
 
4. The hearing of the opinion s of academic experts and other relevant persons should be 
held based on  the provisions of Paragraph 2  of Article 5 -2 of the Act as applied mutatis 
mutandis  pursuant to the provisions of Paragraph 7  of Article 7  of the Act , during  in 
principle  the process of developing the  risk management measures pursuant to 
Paragraph  1 of this Article.  
 
Article 6  
Evaluation of the System to Implement  the Risk Management Measures  
in Requesting Country  
 
1. PQA should  evaluate the system to be introduced by the government of the requesting 
country to implement the risk management measures develope d pursuant to the preceding 
Article.     
 
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 2. If it is found  that information necessary for the evaluation of the system  is insuff icient in 
the process of the preceding paragraph , PQA should  endeavor to collect the information by 
method s such as on-site investigation . 
3. PQA should  make  the result of the evaluation of Paragraph 1 public on the website of 
MAFF . 
 
Article 7  
Determination and Announcement of Conditions for Lifting the Ban 
  
１ PQA should  develop draft conditions for lifting the ban through consultation s with the 
requesting country based on preceding two Articles.  
 
２ PQA should  determine conditions for lifting the ban on the basis of necessary 
administrative steps  including amend ment of the Ordinance  based on the Act, if deemed 
appropriate based on the preceding two Articles . PQA should  also notify the requesting 
country of the conditions  for lifting the ban  and make  them public on the website of MAFF  
without delay.    
 
Supplementary Provisions  
 
This Official Directive  shall take effect on  1 April 2023.