. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/MEX/206 
25 June 2004 
 (04-2742) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
   
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  MEXICO
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT)  
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):  Natural Christmas trees of species of the genera Pinus and Abies and the 
species Pseudotsuga menziesii  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  All 
natural and legal persons engaged for commercial or non-commercial purposes in the importation of natural Christmas trees of species of the genera Pinus and Abies  and the 
species Pseudotsuga menziesii.  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Draft Amendment to 
Mexican Official Standard NOM-013-RECNAT- 1997 Establishing Sanitary Regulations for 
the Importation of Natural Christmas Trees of the Species Pinus sylvestris, Pseudotsuga 
menziesii  and the Genus Abies ", published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación  (Official 
Journal) of 28 September 1998, the title  of which is now as follows: NOM-013-
SEMARNAT-2004 Establishing Sanitary Regulat ions for the Importation of Natural 
Christmas Trees of Species of the Genera Pinus and Abies and the Species Pseudotsuga 
menziesii  (23 pages, in Spanish). 
6. Description of content:  This Mexican Official Standard is being amended in order to 
incorporate the sampling procedure and decision rules for the pest Cylindrocopturus furnissi 
and the pathogen Phytophthora ramorum . This amendment will also broaden the scope of 
the Standard to include all species of the genus Pinus  and potted natural Christmas trees, 
which will help to reduce the risk of the in troduction of regulated quarantine pests, taking 
the following facts into consideration: 
(a) The fresh foliage of Christ mas trees of the above-menti oned species means that, with 
their importation, there is a high risk of quarantine pests and diseases being introduced into national territory; 
(b) The pests Lymantria dispar and Tomicus piniperda exist in the United States of 
America and Canada; 
(c) An annual average of approximately 800,000  natural Christmas trees of species of 
the genera Pinus and Abies  and the species Pseudotsuga menziesii  are imported into 
Mexico.  G/SPS/N/MEX/206 
Page 2  
 
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    
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation: 
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission,  [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention,  [ X ] None 
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:    
9. Relevant documents and language(s ) in which these are available:  Diario Oficial de la 
Federación  (Official Journal) of 21 June 2004 (available in Spanish).  
10. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  Day after final publication in the Official Journal.  
12. Final date for comments:  20 August 2004  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [  X ] National notification 
authority, [    ] National enquiry point, or a ddress, fax number and E-mail address 
(if available) of other body:   
13. Texts available from:  [  X ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry 
point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:   
Web site: www.economia.gob.mx/?P=85  (Standards catalogue) 
E-mail: cidgn@economia.gob.mx  
 