G/SPS/N/CHN/1243  
6 January 2022  
(22-0125) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES  
1. Notifying Member:  CHINA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  General Administration of Customs, P. R. China  
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 : 
[ ] All trading partners   
[X] Specific regions or countries:  Canada, Japan, Korea, Republic of, Spain, Mexico, 
Portugal, United States of America  
5. Title of the notified document:  Notification of Emergency Measures for Plant 
Quarantine Requirements for Import of  Pinus  spp. in Countries Suffering from 
Bursaphelenchus lignicolus . Language(s): Chinese . Number of pages: 6 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2022/SPS/CHN/22_0099_00_x.pdf  
6. Description of content:  In order to prevent the introduction of Bursaphelenchus 
xylophil us in imported Pinus  spp. into China, General Administration of Customs has 
decided to, from February 1, 2022, adopt the following quarantine measures for imported 
Pinus  spp. (including logs and sawn timbers) from countries identified as occur areas of 
Bursaphelenchus xylophilus  (Canada, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Mexico, Portugal and 
the United States):  
1. Laboratory testing and quarantine treatment before export Logs: Before export, the 
plant quarantine department of the exporting country shall conduct sampling and 
laboratory testing of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus  for every batch of logs exported to 
China. W here Bursaphelenchus xylophilus  is detected, such batch of logs shall not be 
exported to China; where Bursaphelenchus xylophilus  is not detected, before export, 
such batch of logs shall be subject to fumigation by methyl bromide and sulfuryl 
fluoride to ki ll the forest pests such as long -horned beetles.  
2. Sawn timbers: Before export, each batch of sawn timbers to be expoted shall be 
subject to heat treatment to kill forest pests such as   Bursaphelenchus xylophilus  and 
long-horned beetles; where the heat treat ment is not carried out, the samples shall 
be taken for the detection of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus ; where Bursaphelenchus 
xylophilus is detected, such batch of sawn timbers shall not be exported to China, 
where Bursaphelenchus xylophilus  is not detected, s uch batch of sawn timbers shall 
be subject to fumigation . 
3. Imported Pinus  spp. shall enter China from the port designated by China and located 
in an occur area of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus  identified by China.  
4. Upon entry of Pinus  spp. the Chinese port shal l carry out quarantine. Where the 
Pinus  spp. live pests such as Bursaphelenchus xylophilus or long -horned beetles are 
detected, such batch of Pinus  spp. shall be returned or destroyed, and the import of 
Pinus  spp. from the corresponding enterprises and growing area shall be suspended, 
if appropriate.  G/SPS/N/CHN/1243  
 
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  7. Objective and rationale: [  ] food safety, [  ] animal health, [X]  plant protection, 
[ ] protect hu mans from animal/plant pest or disease, [X]  protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:  
Bursaphelenchus  xylophilus is a very important quarantine nematode that seriously 
endangers the s afety of pine forests of China. Since its outbreak in China in 1982,  
Bursaphelenchus xylophilus  epidemic has spread quickly and caused serious damages. In 
order to prevent the continuous spread of the Bursaphelenchus xylophilus epidemic, China 
has taken st rict management and control measures, strengthened control of wood 
infected with Bursaphelenchus xylophilus and its products, and strictly conducted the 
harmless disposal of wood infected with Bursaphelenchus xylophilus . The Pinus  spp.in the 
occur areas sh all not be transported out of the occur areas. Instead, it shall be pulverized, 
sliced, or destroyed on the spot. Since 2020, China Customs has detected live 
Bursaphelenchus xylophilus  in imported Pinus  spp. many times, posing a serious threat 
to forestry production and ecological security of China. These Emergency Measures are 
issued to prevent the introduction of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus in the imported Pinus  
spp.. 
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) :  
 ISPM 13, ISPM 20  
[ ] 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:    
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable):  
1 February 2022     
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
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:   
WTO/SPS National Notification and Enq uiry Center of the People's Republic of China  
Tel: +(86 10) 5795 4645 / 5795 4642  
Email: sps@customs.gov.cn  
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
WTO/SPS National Notification and Enquiry Center of the People's Republic of China  
Tel: +(86 10)5795 4645 / 5795 4642  
Email: sps@customs.gov.cn