WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/MEX/222 
19 November 2009 
 (09-5719) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
 
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES 
 
1. Notifying Member:  MEXICO
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible:  Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales  (Ministry of the 
Environment and Natural Resources) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  HS tariff subheading 0604.91.02:  Christmas trees 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[ ] All trading partners 
[X] Specific regions or countries:  Canada and the United States of America  
5. Title of the notified document:  NOM-EM-158-SEMARNAT-2009, Que regula 
sanitariamente la importación de árboles de  navidad naturales de las especies de los 
géneros Pinus y Abies;  y la especie Pseudots uga menziesii, para prevenir el ingreso al 
país de las siguientes plagas asociadas a éstos, Vespula germanica, Choristoneura 
fumiferana, Choristoneura occidentalis, D eroceras reticulatum, Diprion similis, Orgya 
pseudotsugata, Paradiplosis tumifex, Grovesie lla abieticola, Rhabdocline weirii, Nalepella 
ednae, Epitrimerus pseudotsugae y Phomopsis lokoyae (Emergency Mexican Official 
Standard NOM-EM-158-SEMARNAT-2009:  Es tablishing sanitary regulations governing 
the importation of natural Christmas trees of species of the genera Pinus  and Abies  and the 
species Pseudotsuga menziesii  to prevent the entry into Mexi co of the following associated 
pests:  Vespula germanica, Choristoneura fum iferana, Choristoneura occidentalis, 
Deroceras reticulatum, Diprion similis, Orgy a pseudotsugata, Paradiplosis tumifex, 
Grovesiella abieticola, Rhabdocline weirii, Nalepella ednae, Epitrimerus pseudotsugae and 
Phomopsis lokoyae ) Language:  Spanish  Number of pages:  6 
Text available at: 
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2009/sps/MEX/09_3930_00_s.pdf  
6. Description of content:  The Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources will be 
urgently implementing phytosanitary measures to prevent the entry into Mexico of the pests 
Vespula germanica, Choristoneura fumiferana,  Choristoneura occidentalis, Deroceras 
reticulatum, Diprion similis, Orgya pseudots ugata, Paradiplosis tumifex, Grovesiella 
abieticola, Rhabdocline weirii, Nalepe lla ednae, Epitrimerus pseudotsugae and Phomopsis 
lokoyae . G/SPS/N/MEX/222 
Page 2  
 
  7. Objective and rationale:  [ ] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ X] protect territory from other 
damage from pests 
The notified Emergency Mexican Official Standard establishes the phytosanitary 
specifications to be met by natural Christmas trees of species of the genera Pinus  and Abies  
and the species Pseudotsuga menziesii  imported from the United States of America and 
Canada in order to prevent the entry into Mexico of the following pests  which are  
associated with these fo rest-tree species:  Vespula germanica, Choristoneura fumiferana, 
Choristoneura occidentalis, Deroceras reticul atum, Diprion similis, Orgya pseudotsugata, 
Paradiplosis tumifex, Grovesiella abietic ola, Rhabdocline weirii, Nalepella ednae, 
Epitrimerus pseudotsugae and Phomopsis lokoyae . 
 This Standard is binding on all natural a nd legal persons engaged for commercial or 
non-commercial purposes in the importation of the aforementioned forest-tree species. 
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:  New pests of quarantine 
significance, including insects, pathogens, mit es and molluscs, represent a serious threat to 
Mexican forests and their biodiversity, as we ll as to the country's commercial forest 
plantations, as illustrated in the pest risk anal ysis of the exotic insects and pathogens which 
can enter Mexico in Christmas trees imported from the United States of America and Canada (available for consulta tion on the website of the Ministry of the Environment and 
Natural Resources:  http://www.semarnat.gob.mx
).  Issuing the notified Emergency 
Standard is therefore considered  to be a matter of urgency. 
9. Is there a relevant international standa rd?  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 [ ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  
10. Other relevant documents and langua ge(s) in which these are available:   Diario Oficial 
de la Federación  (Official Journal) of 6 November 2009.  Available in Spanish at: 
http://www.dof.gob.mx . 
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable):  
7 November 2009 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   G/SPS/N/MEX/222 
 Page 3 
 
 
  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:  
Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales 
Comité Consultivo Nacional de Normalización de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales 
Periférico Sur No. 4209, piso 5 
Col. Jardines en la Montaña Lado A México D.F., C.P. 14210 Tel.: 5628-0615 to 17 Fax: 5628-0656 
E-mail: sandra.herre ra@semarnat.gob.mx  
13. Texts available from:  [ X] National Notification Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body: 
Secretaría de Economía 
Subsecretaría de Competitividad y Normatividad 
Dirección General de Normas Tel.: +(52 55) 5729-9100, Ext. 43217 Fax: +(52 55) 5520-9715 E-mail: normasomc@economia.gob.mx and/or figueroa@economia.gob.mx 
Website: http://www.dof.gob.mx