G/SPS/N/JPN/779  
 
23 September 2020  
(20-6438) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES  
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):  Live pigs and pig meat and  products thereof  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[ ] All trading partners   
[X] Specific regions or countries:  Germany, and countries, regions or zones 
approved as free from rinderpest, FMD, ASF and CSF by Japan 
https://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/english/news/third -free.html   
5. Title of the notified document:  Import suspension of live pig and pig meat from 
Germany . Language(s): . Number of pages:  
6. Description of content:  In order to prevent the introduction of African swine 
fever  (ASF) virus into Japan, MAFF has suspended the import of l ive pig and pig meat 
and products thereof from Germany, including those shipped through third countries, on 
11 September 2020 based on the "Animal health requirements for meat and viscera 
derived from pigs, and for sausages, ham and bacon made from the sai d meat and viscera 
as raw materials, to be exported to Japan from Germany", "Animal health requirements 
for heat -processed -meat, -viscera, -sausages, -ham and -bacon derived from pigs to be 
exported to Japan from Germany", "Animal health requirements for s wine to be exported 
to Japan from Germany" and the Article 37 and 44 of the "Act on Domestic Animal 
Infectious Disease Control".  Pig meat and products thereof derived from animals 
slaughtered on and after 2 August 2020 and live pigs transported from German y to other 
countries on and after 2 August 2020 are not eligible to be exported to Japan, taking into 
consideration the incubation period of the ASF virus stipulated in the OIE Terrestrial 
Animal Health Code.  
7. Objective and rationale: [  ] food safety, [ X] animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:  An outbreak of ASF 
was confirmed in a wild boar presumed dead in the SCHENKENDÖBERN, SPREE -NEISSE, 
BRANDENBURG, on 17 August 2020.  G/SPS/N/JPN/779  
 
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  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) :  
[X] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) : Chapter 15.1. " Infection with African 
swine fever virus"  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[ ] 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:  Current 
"Animal health requirements for meat and viscera derived from pigs, and for sausages, 
ham and bacon made from the said meat and viscera as raw materials, to be exported to 
Japan from Germany"  
http://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/hou/require/attach/pdf/sub2 -11.pdf  (Available in English and 
Japanese)  
"Animal health requirements for heat -processed -meat, -viscera, -sausages, -ham and -
bacon derived from pi gs to be exported to Japan from Germany"  
http://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/hou/require/pdf/14 -1085de.pdf  (Available in English and 
Japanese)  
"Animal health requirements for swine t o be exported to Japan from Germany"  
http://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/hou/require/pdf/c_i_germany_swine.pdf  (Available in English 
and Japanese)   
11. Date of entry into fo rce ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable):  
11 September 2020  
[ ] 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:   
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