G/SPS/N/CRI/170  
 
22 June 2016  
(16-3385)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: Spanish  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
1. Notifying Member: COSTA RICA   
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible: Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería , Servicio Fitosanitario del 
Estado , SFE (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, State Phytosanitary Service) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item  number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; IC S numbers should be provided in 
addition, where applicable): International Classification for Standards (ICS) 
code 65.080: Fertilizers 
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: RTCR 485:2016. Sustancias Químicas. Fertilizantes y 
enmiendas para uso agrícola. Tolerancias y límites permitidos para la concentración de los elementos y contaminantes  (Costa Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR) No. 485:2016: 
Chemical substances. Fertilizers and soil conditioners for agricultural use. Permitted 
tolerances and limits for concentrations of elements and contaminants)  
Language(s): Spanish  Number of pages: 29 
Text available at: 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2016/SPS/CRI/16_2523_00_s.pdf  
6. Description of content: The notified Technical Regulation establishes the permitted 
tolerances and limits for concentrations of elements, heavy metals and impurities in 
fertilizers and soil conditioners, including raw materials registered for marketing in Costa Rica. The text applies to fertilizers, soil conditioners and raw materials registered for 
agricultural use in Costa Rica. 
7. Objective and rationale: [ ] food safety, [ ] animal health, [X] plant protection, 
[X] protect humans from animal/plant pe st or disease, [ ] protect territory 
from other damage from pests.  
8. Is there a relevant international st andard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text)  
[ ] World Organisation 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   [ ] No G/SPS/N/CRI/170 
  
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  If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:  
1. Decreto Ejecutivo N° 37982-COMEX-MEIC-M AG. RTCA 65.05.54:09: Fertilizantes y 
enmiendas de uso agrícola. Requisitos para el registro  (Executive Decree No. 37982-
COMEX-MEIC-MAG of the Ministry of Foreig n Trade, the Ministry of the Economy, 
Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock - Central American 
Technical Regulation (RTCA) No. 65.05.54:09: Fertilizers and soil conditioners for agricultural use. Registration requirements), published in the Official Journal La 
Gaceta  of 12 November 2013 
2. Decreto Ejecutivo N° 27973-MAG-MEIC-S. RTCR 318:1998: Laboratorio de análisis 
de sustancias químicas y biológicas de uso en la agricultura  (Executive Decree 
No. 27973-MAG-MEIC-S of the Ministry of Agri culture and Livestock, the Ministry of 
the Economy, Industry and Trade and the Mi nistry of Health - Costa Rican Technical 
Regulation (RTCR) No. 318:1998: Regulations on laboratory analysis of chemical and biological substances for agricultural use), published in the Official Journal La Gaceta  
of 19 July 1999; 
3. Decreto Ejecutivo N° 27041-MAG-MEIC. RTCR 176:1991: Agroquímicos. Toma de 
muestra  (Executive Decree No. 27041-MAG-MEIC of the Ministry of Agriculture and 
Livestock and the Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Trade - Costa Rican 
Technical Regulation (RTCR) No. 176:1991: Agrochemicals. Taking of samples), published in the Official Journal La Gaceta  of 9 September 1998  
 (available in Spanish) 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : Upon publication in the Official Journal La 
Gaceta  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined 
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : Upon publication in the Official Journal La Gaceta  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments: [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 10 August 2016 
Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [X] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body:   
13. Text(s) available from: [X] National Notifi cation Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   
Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería 
Servicio Fitosanitario del Estado (SFE) 
Centro de Información y Notificación MSF 
Apartado Postal 1521 - 1200 San José, Costa Rica 
Tel.: (+506) 2549-3454 
Fax: (+506) 2549-3598 E-mail: puntocontactoMSF@sfe.go.cr