G/SPS/N/JPN/1201  
11 May 2023  
(23-3315) 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):  Plants 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:  Standard Procedure for Lifting a Ban on Importation of 
Plants into Japan (Official Directive No. 5 of MAFF) . Language(s):  English . Number of 
pages:  4 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2023/SPS/JPN/23_09580_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  MAFF  has revised the standard procedure when Japan receives a 
request from a country to lift the ban on importation of plants of which Japan prohibits the 
import in accordance with the Plant Protection Law (Law No. 151 of 1950).  
The purpose of the revision is to reflect procedures being newly implemented and thereby 
to increase transparency of the procedure, while taking into account relevant international 
standards, as the previous version was developed more than 20 years ago (in 1999).  
7. Objective and ratio nale: [  ] 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) : ISPM No. 2, 
11, 20, 24  
[ ] 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:   G/SPS/N/JPN/1201  
 
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  9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
The original document in Japanese was published in "Kampo" (Official Government 
Gazette) on 29 March 2023. The original document in Japanese is available on the 
MAFF  website https://www.maff.go.jp/j/syouan/syokubo/keneki/k_yunyu/index.html . 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 22 March 2023  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 29 March 20 23 
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : 1 April 2023  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [  ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable  
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 Affairs  
2-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda -ku 
Tokyo 100 -8919, Japan  
Tel: +(81 3) 5501 8344  
Fax: +(81 3) 5501 8343  
E-mail: enquir y@mofa.go.jp