 
. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/ZAF/18 
27 April 2004 
 (04-1863) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   SOUTH AFRICA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:   Department of Agriculture  (South African  National Plant Protection 
Organization), Pretoria 
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):  Wood packaging material used in supporting, protecting or carrying a 
commodity such as cases, crating, dunnage, dr ums, load boards, packing blocks, pallets, 
pallet collars and skids excluding plywood, particle board, oriented strand board and 
veneer. 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  Any 
country exporting wood packaging to South Africa. 
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Importation of 
Controlled Goods without a permit (a vailable in English, 2 pages). 
6. Description of content:  All wood packaging material entering South Africa shall comply 
with the requirements of the Internationa l Standards for Phytosanitary Measures, 
Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging  Material in International Trade (ISPM 
No. 15). 
7. Objective and rationale:  [   ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [ X ] plant protection, 
[  ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease,  [   ]  protect territory from other 
damage from pests 
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [ X ] International Plant Protection Convention, [   ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:   This regulatory amendment is consistent with 
ISPM no.15 of the International Plant Protec tion Convention of the Food and Agricultural 
Organisation of the United Nations, partic ularly the International Standard for 
Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 – "Guidelines fo r Regulating Wood Packaging Material in 
International Trade".  
9. Relevant documents and language(s ) in which these are available:  Government Gazette 
No. 276 dated 5 March 2004, available in English. 
10. Proposed date of adoption:   1 November 2004 G/SPS/N/ZAF/18 
Page 2  
 
 11. Proposed date of entry into force:   1 January 2005 
12. Final date for comments:  30 July 2004 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification 
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or  address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:    
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notification authority, [   ] National enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  
Mr M.A. Holtzhausen                                 Fax no:  09 27 12 319 6350 
Private Bag X 258                                       E- mail address:  MikeH@nda.agric.za 
Pretoria, 0001 South Africa 
 
 