G/SPS/N/LAO/3  
 
2 October 2018  
(18-6058) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES  
1. Notifying Member:  LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRA TIC REPUBLIC  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry  
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): Food 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[ ] All trading partners  
[X] Specific regions or countries: China  
5. Title of the notified document: "Notification" The suspending temporary of importing 
pork and pork products until this incident has came back to stab le condition.  
https://www.laotradeportal.gov.la/kcfinder/upload/files/MAF_Notification -
0945_05092018 -LA%281%29.pdf  
https://www.laotradeportal.gov.la/index.php?r=site/display&id=1509 .  
Language(s): Lao, English.  Number of pages: 3 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2018/SPS/LAO/18_5138_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content: Pursuant to Notification 0945/MAF, dated 05 September 2018, 
there is an outbreak of ASF in  Liaoning  province, China. World Organisation for Animal 
and Health (OIE) reported that ASF is a highly contagious hemorrhagic disease of pigs, 
the organism which c auses ASF i s a DNA virus of the Asfarviridae  family with high 
virulence forms of the virus, ASF is characterized by high fever, loss of appetite, 
haemorrhages in the skin and internal organs, and death in 2 -10 days on average. 
Mortality rates may be as high as 100%.  
Therefore, the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry notified as follow:  
 Department of Livestock and Fisheries shall coordinate with border checkpoints in 
order to notify authorities, entrepreneurs, and people for the implementation of this 
notification.  
 The provinces bordering with China, for instance, Luang Namtha, Oudomxay and 
Phongsaly shall stop temporary importing all kind of pork products from China for its 
domestic consumption.  
 Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office shall coordinate with concer ned sectors in 
order to plan the need for domestic pig production aims at reducing imports.  
In case, inspectors at the border checkpoint found pork products from China, the products 
will be restrained in accordance with laws and regulations.  
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [  ] animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  G/SPS/N/LAO/3  
 
- 2 - 
 
  8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action: there is a n outbreak 
of ASF in  Liaoning  province, China. World Organisation for Animal and Health (OIE) 
reported that ASF is a highly contagious hemorrhagic disease of pigs, the organism which 
causes ASF is a DN A virus of the Asfarviridae family with high virulence forms of the virus, 
ASF is characterized by high fever, loss of appetite, haemorrhages in the skin and internal 
organs, and death in 2 -10 days on average. Mortality rates may be as high as 100%.  
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 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[X] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes   [X] 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):  
5 September 2018  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [  ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
Department of Foreign Trade Policy, Ministry of Industry and Comme rce 
Phonxay Road, Saysettha district, Vientiane capital  
Tel: +(856) 2145 0066  
Fax: +(856) 2145 0066  
Email: sps -tbt_notification@laoftpd.com  
phetlany@gmail.com  
savankham_ph@hotmail.com  
13. Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [  ] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:  
Department of Foreign Trade Policy, Ministry of Industry and Commerce  
Phonxay Road, Saysettha district, Vientiane capital  
Tel: +(856) 2145 0066  
Fax: +(856) 2145 0066 
Email: sps -tbt_notification@laoftpd.com  
phetlany@gmail.com  
savankham_ph@hotmail.com