G/SPS/N/JPN/755  
 
23 April 2020  
(20-3216) 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):  Animals, plants and their 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:  Procedure for temporary measures to accept scanned 
or hard copies of export certificates . Language(s):  English . Number of pages:  3 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/JPN/20_2863_00_e.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/JPN/20_2863_01_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  The MAFF accepts scanned or hard copies of export certificates 
for animals, plants and their products to be exported to Japan in order to  facilitate trade  
in face of COVID -19 outbreak. Please follow the procedures in Annex 1 for plant protection 
or Annex 2 for animal health if you wish to use scanned or hard copies of original export 
certificates in exporting the products to Japan. If you have any questions  about these 
procedures, please send messages to the following contact points;  
・Plant protection: Plant Protection Division ( ippc_contact@maff.go.jp )  
・Animal Health: Animal Health Division ( iqp@maff.go.jp )  
7. Objective and rationale: [  ] food safety, [X]  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) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[X] None  G/SPS/N/JPN/755  
 
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  Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it de viates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable.  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : 21 April 2020  
[X] 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 av ailable) of other body:   
Japan Enquiry Point  
International Trade Division  
Economic Affairs Bureau  
Ministry of Foreign Affairs  
Fax: +(8131) 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:   
Japan Enquiry Point  
International Trade Division  
Economic Affairs Bureau  
Ministry of Foreign Affairs  
Fax: +(8131) 5501 8343  
E-mail: enquiry@mofa.go.jp