G/SPS/N/COL/315  
28 February  2020 
(20-1524) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original:  Spanish  
 
  
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES  
1. Notifying Member : COLOMBIA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible : Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario , ICA (Colombian Agricultural 
Institute)  
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) : Pork products and by -products for human consumption entering 
Colombia in the luggage of travellers who have come directly from, or stopped over in, 
countries that have reported the presence of African swine fever, as well as those found 
in international courier service shipments, shall be seized and confiscated by the 
Colombian Agricultural I nstitute (ICA) upon entry at ports, airports and border crossings.  
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 : Resolución No. 60469 del 17 de enero de 2020 "Por la 
cual establecen medidas sanitarias en puertos, aeropuertos y puestos de control 
fronterizo para prevenir la introducción y propagación de la Peste Porcina Africana en el 
territorio Nacional y se dictan otras d isposiciones"  (Resolution No. 60469 of 1 7 January 
2020 "establishing sanitary measures to be implemented at ports, airports and border 
control points to prevent the introduction and spread of African swine fever in Colombian 
territory, and introducing othe r provisions") Language(s) : Spanish Number of pages : 
5 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/COL/20_1545_00_s.pdf  
6. Description of content : Resolution No. 60469 of 1 7 January 2 020 establishes sanitary 
measures to be implemented at ports, airports and border control points to prevent the 
introduction and spread of African swine fever in Colombian territory . It applies to all 
natural persons - travellers, passengers or crew members - bringing pork products into 
Colombia for human consumption, as well as to businesses, entities and other act ors, 
including international courier services, that are directly or indirectly involved in this 
process.  
7. Objective and rationale : [ ] food safety , [X] animal health , [ ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protec t territory from 
other damage from pests.  G/SPS/N/COL/315  
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  8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reasons for urgent action:  
For Colombia (ICA), it is important to prevent the risk of African swine fever being 
introduced into national territory as a precautionary measure aimed at maintaining the 
country's health status and preventing the introduction of exotic diseases that could affect 
swine production.  
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has reported the presence of African 
swine fever (ASF) in the Asian countries of China, Mongolia, Laos, Cambodia, Taiwan, Viet 
Nam, South Korea, North Korea, Myanmar, the Philippines and Timor -Leste, as well as in 
Africa in the Republics of Chad, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya and Côte d'Ivoire, and in 
Europe in Romania, Be lgium, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Russia, 
Moldova, Slovakia and Serbia . This situation poses a risk to agricultural production in 
Colombia and the Americas on account of the possibility of contaminated materials 
entering from those countri es. 
International studies show that the greatest risk in terms of the introduction of the African 
swine fever virus lies with international travellers entering countries at ports and airports 
with contaminated pork and pork by -products in their luggage . International courier 
service shipments of this type of product also constitute a risk in terms of the virus 
entering a country.  
An emergency measure is therefore needed to prevent the introduction of the African 
swine fever virus via the channels mentioned above, which is why the Colombian health 
authority is required to take steps to establish procedures to reduce the animal health 
risk to the country in a manner consistent with the Agreement on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures.  
9. Is there a relevant i nternational standard ? 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. T errestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) : 
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention ( e.g. I SPM 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:  
10. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable) : 4 
February 2 020 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Agency or authority designated to handle comments : [X] National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point . Address, fax number and email address 
(if available) of other body:  
Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo  (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Touri sm) 
Dirección de Regulación  (Regulation Department)  
Calle 28 No. 13A - 15, tercer piso  
Bogotá, D.C . Colombia  
Tel.: (+571) 6067 676, Ext. 1566 or 1340  
Email:  puntocontacto@mincit.gov.co  
mgonzalezs@mincit.gov.co  
Website: http://www.mincit.gov.co  G/SPS/N/COL/315  
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  Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario , ICA (Colombian Agricultural Institute)  
Subgerencia de Regulación Sanitaria y Fitosanitaria (Sanitary and Phytosanitary 
Regulation Division)  
Dirección Técnica de Asuntos Internacionales  (Technical Division for International Affairs)  
Avenida Calle 26 No. 85B-09 
Bogotá, Colombia  
Tel.: (+571) 3323 700  
(+571) 2884 800, Ext. 1510 or 1515  
Email:  asuntos.internacionales@ica.gov.co  
margarita.lubo@ica.gov.co  
Website: http://www.ica.gov.co  
13. Text(s) available from : [X] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point . Address, fax number and email address (if available) o f other body:  
Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo  
Dirección de Regulación  
Calle 28 No. 13A - 15, tercer piso  
Bogotá, D.C . Colombia  
Tel.: (+571) 6067 676, Ext. 1566 or 1340  
Email:  puntocontacto@mincit.gov.co  
mgonzalezs@mincit.gov.co  
Website: http://www.mincit.gov.co  
Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario - ICA 
Subgerencia de Regulación Sanitaria y Fitosanitaria  
Dirección Técnica de Asuntos Internacionales  
Avenid a Calle 26 No. 85B-09 
Bogotá, Colombia  
Tel.: (+571) 3323 700  
(+571) 2884 800, Ext. 1510 or 1515  
Email:  asuntos.internacionales@ica.gov.co  
margarita.lubo@ica.gov.co  
Website: http://www.ica.gov.co