G/SPS/N/JPN/1199

25 April 2023
(23-2933)

Page: 1/3

Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures

Original: English

NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES
1.

Notifying Member: JAPANIf applicable, name of local government involved:

2.

Agency responsible: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF)

3.

Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in nationalschedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition,
where applicable): Underground parts of the live plants being capable of planting forcultivation of Indian laurel (Ficus microcarpa)

4.

Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:[]

All trading partners[X]

Specific regions or countries: Antigua and Barbuda; Barbados; Benin; Brazil;
Burkina Faso; China (excluding Hong Kong, China); Costa Rica; Côte d'Ivoire; Cuba;
Dominica; Dominican Republic; Grenada; Guatemala; Haiti; India; Jamaica; Kenya;
Malawi; Mexico; Mozambique; Niger; Nigeria; Portugal; Saint Kitts and Nevis;
Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Senegal; South Africa; Sri Lanka;
Switzerland; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; Togo; Trinidad and Tobago; United States ofAmerica (excluding Hawaiian Islands); Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of; Viet Nam;
Bahamas; including United States Virgin Islands, Aruba, Anguilla, British Virgin
Islands, Curacao, Guadalupe, Cayman Islands, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin,
Turks and Caicos Islands, Puerto Rico, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Martinique,and Montserrat

5.

Title of the notified document: Emergency measures to mitigate the risk of introducing
Meloidogyne enterolobii. Language(s): English. Number of pages:

6.

Description of content: To prevent the introduction of Meloidogyne enterolobii into
Japan, the MAFF will require National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPO) of exporting
countries to certify that:For Underground parts of the live plants being capable of planting for cultivation ofFicus microcarpa:i) The plants are grown at a place of production or a production site (including a plantgrowth facility) where M. enterolobii has not been known to occur or was known tooccur previously but has been eradicated; andii) The plants are inspected at the place of production or the production site during thegrowing season, and the growing medium and the underground parts of the plants are
examined by an appropriate nematological test and found to be free fromM. enterolobii.
Therefore, the NPPO of exporting countries will be required to include an additional
declaration stating that "Fulfills item 8 of the Annexed Table 1-2 of the Ordinance for
Enforcement of the Plant Protection Act (MAF Ordinance No. 73/1950)".
Please note that the revision of the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Plant Protection Act(MAF Ordinance No73/1950) will become effective on 1 August 2023, and the additionaldeclaration should be "Fulfills item 13 of the Annexed Table 2-2 of the Ordinance for
Enforcement of the Plant Protection Act (MAF Ordinance No73/1950)" from 1 August 2023.

G/SPS/N/JPN/1199-2-7.

Objective and rationale: [ ] food safety, [ ] animal health, [X] plant protection,[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory fromother damage from pests.

8.

Natureof
theurgentproblem(s)andreasonforurgentaction:M. enterolobii potentially poses a significant risk to agriculture in Japan. To prevent theintroduction of M. enterolobii into Japan, the emergency measures are to be applied to theimport of F. microcarpa. This is an urgent action before the enforcement of the revision of
the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Plant Protection Act as M. enterolobii was isolated
from underground parts, including nematode galls of F. microcarpa live plants during theimport inspection. M. enterolobii was identified using molecular and morphological method.

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]InternationalPlant
Protection
IPPC Article 7, ISPM 1 and ISPM 20[]

NoneConvention(e.g. ISPMnumber):

Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?
[X] Yes[ ] NoIf no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from theinternational 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):
29 May 2023[]

12.

Table 1-2, MAF Ordinance No. 73/1950 (until 31 July 2023) (online), available fromhttps://www.maff.go.jp/pps/j/law/houki/shorei/E_Annexed_Table12_from_20230401.html
Table 2-2, MAF Ordinance No. 73/1950 (from 1 August 2023) (online), available fromhttps://www.maff.go.jp/pps/j/law/houki/shorei/E_Annexed_Table22_from_20230801.html

Trade facilitating measure

Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [ ] National Notification
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (ifavailable) of other body:Standards Information ServiceInternational Trade Division
Economic Affairs Bureau
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
2-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 100-8919, Japan
Tel: +(81 3) 5501 8344
Fax: +(81 3) 5501 8343
E-mail: enquiry@mofa.go.jp

G/SPS/N/JPN/1199
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13.

Text(s) available from: [ ] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry
Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:Standards Information ServiceInternational Trade Division
Economic Affairs BureauMinistry of Foreign Affairs
2-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 100-8919, Japan
Tel: +(81 3) 5501 8344
Fax: +(81 3) 5501 8343
E-mail: enquiry@mofa.go.jp