WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/MEX/223 
20 April 2010 
 (10-2003) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
 
1. Notifying Member:   MEXICO
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:  Secretaría de Salud  (Ministry of Health) 
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):  Pesticides 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners, or [ ] Specific regions or countries: 
5. Title of the notified document:  NOM-232-SSA1-2009, Plaguicidas:  que establece los 
requisitos del envase, embalaje y etiquet ado de productos grado técnico y para uso 
agrícola, forestal, pecuario, jardinería, urbano, industrial y doméstico  (Mexican Official 
Standard NOM-232-SSA1-2009, Pesticides:  Packing, packaging and labelling 
requirements for technical grade products and products for agricultural, forestry, livestock, 
garden, urban, industrial and household use).  Language:  Spanish   Number of pages:  29 
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2010/sps/MEX/10_1551_00_s.pdf  
6. Description of content:  The notified Mexican Official Standard is binding throughout 
Mexican territory for natural and legal pers ons involved in the processing of pesticide 
products. 
Pesticides are substances or mixtures of substa nces which are used to mitigate, reduce or 
eliminate the impact of pests on agricultural production and human health, etc.  Given their 
toxic nature, such products have the potentia l to adversely affect human health and the 
environment.  The handling of pesticides therefore requires that emphasis be placed on the protection of users and occupationally exposed workers. 
The misuse of pesticides can lead to the poi soning of workers and the contamination of 
food and the environment, with detrimental e ffects on human health.  The purpose of this 
Standard is to promote the safe handling of these substances and communicate the main 
risks involved in their use. 
The labelling of pesticide products in a way that is inconsistent with this Standard will be 
prohibited 360 calendar days after the Standard  enters into force.  Companies therefore 
have a maximum of 360 days to use up their st ocks of lithographed labels and packaging. G/SPS/N/MEX/223 
Page 2  
 
  7. Objective and rationale:  [X] food safe ty, [ ] animal health, [X] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from other damage from pests. 
The notified Mexican Official Standard set s forth requirements, instructions and 
characteristics relating to the packing, packag ing and labelling of technical and formulated 
pesticides, in their various forms, with a view to minimizing the health risks for 
occupationally exposed workers and the genera l population during the storage, transport, 
handling and application of these products. 
8. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  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 No.)  
[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: 
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available: 
• Mexican Official Journal ( Diario Oficial de la Federación ) of 13 April 2010;  
http://www.dof.gob.mx/  (available in Spanish) 
• Guidelines on Good Labelling Practice for Pesticides:  Food and Agriculture 
Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome, 1995 
• The notified Standard is consistent with  Chapter 3.1 ("Acute Toxicity") of the 
Globally Harmonized System of Classifica tion and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  8 April 2011 
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) :  360 calendar days after publication in the Official Journal. 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   G/SPS/N/MEX/223 
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  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 handl e comments:  [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if 
available) of other body:  
Comité Consultivo Nacional de Normal ización de Regulación y Fomento Sanitario 
Torre Monterrey No. 33 PH, Esq.  Oaxaca Col. Roma 06700 México, D.F. Tel.: 5080-5200, Ext. 1480/1481 
Fax: 5511-1499 
Website: http://portal.salud.gob.mx/
 
13. Texts available from:  [ ] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body: 
Dirección General de Normas de la Secretaría de Economía 
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/