Implementation of ISPM No.15 from April 2007
Communication from Japan
Based on the result of a pest risk analysis for wood packaging material, Japan amended
its Import Plant Quarantine Regulation (MAF Notification No.206, 1950).
This amendment to it was published on 6 October 2006 and will be put into force on 1 April
2007.
With a view to harmonizing our regulation with the international standards, definition ofwood packaging material and measures for it in the regulation is equivalent to that provided in
ISPM No.15. Wood packaging material treated and certified according to ISPM No.15 will notbe subject to import quarantine procedures. Wood packaging material without the mark (AnnexII, ISPM No.15) will be inspected at ports of entry by plant quarantine officers for confirmationof compliance with the regulation.
Detection of a quarantine pest constitutes non-compliance, and which is, according to Japanese
domestic law, it is subject to disinfestation, incineration or re-shipping by consignee’s choiceaccording to the Japanese domestic law.
References;

Outline of the regulation (in English); http://www.pps.go.jp/english/woodpack/index.html
PRA report (in Japanese);http://www.maff.go.jp/pps/j/konpozai/pdf/inwoodpra01.pdf

MAFF Notification No.1352, October 6, 2006 *For amendment of Import Plant Quarantine Regulation (MAF Notification No.206, 1950)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Based on prescript of Paragraph 1 of Article 11 of Plant Protection Law (Law No.151, 1950) **, theImport Plant Quarantine Regulation (MAF Notification No.206, 1950) is amended and the amendment will be
put into force April 1, 2007.
October 6, 2006
Toshikatsu Mastuoka
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
After Article 6, Paragraph 1 of the Import Plant Quarantine Regulation, Paragraph 2 below isinserted. According to this amendment, Paragraphs (2) to (9) are renumbered as (3) to (10).
(Plant not subject to quarantine)
Article 6
The article listed in each of the following items shall not fall under the plants specified in Article 2,
Paragraph 1 of the Law ***;
[Omitted]
Wood packaging material (If wood packaging material, including pallets, dunnage, crating, packing blocks,drums, cases, load boards, pallet collars and skids, is made from raw wood without processing or treatment,
only the wood packaging material treated under the standard shown in Table 6 and marked according tothe remarks shown in Form 1 in producing countries can be classified as plant not subject to quarantine inthis article.) ****
(3) ～ (10) [Omitted]

Table 6. Treatment standards of wood packaging material in the producing country.
Standards
MeasureDosageTreatment(g/m3)

period1.
Heat

Minimum concentration(g/m3)
Temperature

2hrs

4hrs

12hrs

24hrs

later

later

later

later

30-

treatment

minutes orRemarkTemperature is core
56℃ or more----moretemperature of woodpackaging material

2.

6424hours

10℃ or more

48

4236

32

Monitoring ofMethyl

56

Ditto

16℃ or more

42363228

concentrations

bromide48

Ditto

21℃ or more

36

31

28

24

should be carried outfumigation

at a minimum at 2, 4
and 24hrs.

Form 1. The mark on wood packaging material treated and certified.

Remark;1. The mark should at a minimum include the symbol, ISO two letter country code (XX) indicatingproducing country of wood packaging material, a unique number (000) assigned to the producer of thewood packaging material, and abbreviation (YY) indicating treatment prescribed in Table 6 (YY; HT forheat treatment or MB for methyl bromide fumigation).
2. The mark should be ;(1) legible(2) permanent and not transferable(3) placed in a visible location, preferably on at least two opposite sides of the wood packaging material,(4) not red or orange.

Note;*; Original is in Japanese and MAFF has no responsibility on any issue caused by this text.

**; Article 6 (Limitation on import)
1. Plants (excluding the plants not used for cultivation and designated by the Ministerial Ordinanceas least liable to carry quarantine pests. Hereinafter the same in this and next paragraph) and thepacking materials or containers thereof shall not be imported unless the same are accompanied bya phytosanitary certificate or a copy thereof issued by the government agency of exporting
country certifying that the material has been inspected and found to be, or believed to be free of
injurious animals and plants. However, this shall not apply to the plants and packing materials orcontainers thereof listed in the following items.

***; Article 2 (Definitions)
1. ‘Plants’ as used in this law shall mean any plant (including a part thereof, seed, fruit andprocessed goods such as straw mat, straw bale or other similar products) belonging tophanerogam, pteridophyte or bryophyte, exclusive of injurious plants specified in next paragraph.

****; In principle, wood packaging material which is neither treated nor certified is classified as 'Plant'
defined in Paragraph 1 of Article 2 of the Law and it is a subject of regulation.