. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/1968 
18 January 2010  
 (10-0234) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES 
 
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:     
2. Agency responsible:  Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture 
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):  Aesculus  spp. plants for planting, except seed 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners except Canada  
[ ] Specific regions or countries:    
5. Title of the notified document:  Federal Order for Pseudomonas syringae pv. aesculi  
Causal organism of bleeding canker of horse chestnut (dated 7 January 2010)  Language:  
English  Number of pages:  3   
6. Description of content:  The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is 
issuing a Federal Order pursuant to the regulatory authority provided by the Plant Protection Act of June 20, 2000, as amended, Section 412(a), 7 U.S.C. 7712(a), to prohibit 
the importation from all countries, except Canada, of Aesculus  spp. plants for planting 
(excluding seed) because they are hosts of Pseudomonas syringae  pv. aesculi , causal agent 
of bleeding canker of horse chestnut.  Due to the potential for the spread of this very serious 
plant pathogen, this Federal Order is  effective beginning 25 January 2010. 
Federal Orders will remain in effect until they are revised by another Federal Order or until 
an interim rule on the subject is published. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [ ] food safety, [ ] animal health, [X] plant protection, [ 
] protect humans from animal/plant pest or  disease, [X] protect territory from other 
damage from pests.    G/SPS/N/USA/1968 
Page 2  
 
  8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:  Recent scientific 
literature identifies P. syringae  pv. aesculi  as a destructive plant pathogen that seriously 
affects and leads to the death of plants in its host genus, Aesculus .  P. syringae  pv. aesculi  
is rapidly spreading through Europe.  Recent surveys have estimated that in the United 
Kingdom approximately 49 per cent of the horse chestnut trees are infected with this 
pathogen and in the Netherlands 30 per cent are infected.  P. syringae  pv. aesculi  is not 
known to occur in the United States, and the pa thogen is not known to be seed-transmitted.  
Plant pathogens, including viruses and viroids, are extremely difficult to detect during a port of entry inspection of the host plants, par ticularly in the absence of symptoms.  This 
action is necessary to prevent the introduction and dissemination into the United States of 
this harmful bacterial pest. 
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)   
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)   
[X] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number) This notification 
complies with the International Sta ndard on Phytosanitary Measures No.13 
"Guidelines for the notification of non-compliance and emergency action".  This action is in accordance with the prin ciples related to emergency action of 
Article VII of the revised text of the International Plant Protection Convention. 
[ ] 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 langu age(s) in which these are available:  
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/ plant_imports/federal_order/index.shtml    
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable):   
25 January 2010 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if 
available) of other body:  For additional information regarding this Federal Order, please 
contact:  ppq.ippc.notification@aphis.usda.gov  
13. Texts available from:  [X] National Notification Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:  United States 
SPS National Notification Authority, USDA Fore ign Agricultural Service, International 
Regulations and Standards Division (IRSD), Stop 1027, Washington D.C. 20250;  Tel:  +(1 202) 720 1301;  Fax:  +(1 202) 720 0433;  E-mail:  us.s psenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov