Revision to controls of imports of food & feed from Japan

EU legislation Update - Imports of food and feed from Japan, regarding radioactive contamination checks

  The law regulating the importation of food and feed from Japan - protecting against radioactive contamination has been amended.  These changes come into effect from 1 December 2017.   The new law Commission Implementing Regulation 2017/2058 amends Commission Implementing Regulation 2016/6.

Changes introduced The number of specified products has been reduced. Fishery products in particular have increased exemptions for listed species. Rice and rice products have been removed. The results of sampling and analysis continue to be required for consignments of specified products from a controlled prefecture. Some prefecture requirements have been updated. A new format Declaration has been introduced for consignments of specified products originating or consigned from Japan.  The model Declaration is in Annex III of the Regulation. Transitional provisions - declarations  Consignments accompanied by a declaration in accordance with Implementing Regulation (EU) 322/2014 can be accepted where the following are met The products left Japan prior to 1 December 2017.

Summarised import requirements

The new Regulation applies to Japanese food and feed from 1 December 2017  The regulation specifies that food and feed may only enter the EU through a BIP (Border Inspection Post - for products of animal origin) or a DPE (Designated Point of Entry - for products not of animal origin).  Felixstowe is designated for both and therefore all controlled products are able to be imported subject to the conditions set out.

Specified Products and Controlled Prefectures

Controls are in place for specified products from all prefectures.

• specified products from all prefectures are required to be accompanied by a declaration.
• specified products from a controlled prefecture are also required to be accompanied by a  sampling and analytical report.

These requirements cover imports of fishery products caught or harvested in the coastal waters of the specified prefectures, irrespective of where such products are landed. Composite/ Compound products The controls also apply to any products consisting of greater than 50% of a specified product (from a controlled prefecture).  Where the origin of the ingredients (at more than 50%) is unclear the product must be accompanied by an analytical report containing the results of sampling and analysis. If you are importing a composite product which contains any of the controlled foods as an ingredient, in order to enable faster clearances, you are recommended to submit of copy of the ingredients by percentage to Port Health for checking.  

Specified Products		Controlled Prefectures
Product or compound product with >50% of  ingredient of concern	CN Codes	Fukushima	Miyagi	Nagano	Gunma, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Chinba, Iwate	Yamanashi, Yamagata, Shizuoka, Niigata
mushrooms and derived products	0709 51 0709 59 0710 80 61 0710 80 69 0711 51 00 0711 59 0712 31 0712 32 0712 33 0712 39 2003 10 2003 90 2005 99 80	x	x	x	x	x
fish and fishery products (with the exception Japanese amberback, Yellowtail amberback, Greater amberback, Japanese seabream, White trevally, Pacific bluefin tuna, Pacific chub mackerel - see specified CN codes in annex II of 2017/2058)	0302-0308 1504 10 1504 20 1604	x	x		x
soybeans and derived products	1201 90 1208 10 1507	x
giant or Japanese butterbur	0709 99 0710 80 0711 90 0712 90	x
aralia species and derived products	0709 99 0710 80 0711 90 0712 90	x	x	x
bamboo shoots and derived products	0709 99 0710 80 0711 90 0712 90 2004 90 2005 91	x	x		x
bracken and derived products	0709 99 0710 80 0711 90 0712 90	x	x
koshiabura and derived products	0709 99 0710 80 0711 90 0712 90	x	x	x	x	x
Japanese royal fern and derived products	0709 99 0710 80 0711 90 0712 90	x	x	x
ostrich fern and derived products	0709 99 0710 80 0711 90 0712 90	x	x	x
Japanese persimmon and derived products	0810 70 00 0810 90 0811 90 0812 90 0813 50	x

Imports of specified food and feed consigned from the prefectures listed above, but not originating in one of these prefectures and which has not been exposed to radioactivity during transit do not need to be sampled and tested before export from Japan.  However, consignments will be subject to random sampling and testing upon arrival at the BIP or DPE.

Documentary Requirements

All consignments must be accompanied by a declaration in the correct format. Consignments of  specified products from controlled prefectures must also be accompanied by an analytical report containing the results of the sampling and analysis.  Where the consignment is from a controlled prefecture the declaration must be signed by an authorised representative of the Japanese competent authorities. Where the consignment is not from a controlled prefecture the declaration may be signed by an authorised representative of the Japanese competent authorities or by a representative of the region designated by the competent authority official. All consignments must be identified by a code, which must be marked on the packaging and all the documentation accompanying the consignment including the:-

• Declaration.
• Analytical report (for controlled prefectures).
• Sanitary certificate (where required).
• Commercial documents which accompany the consignment.

Definition of consignment

The Commission have clarified the definition of consignment for this Regulation:

• For products of animal origin a consignment is whatever is covered by the veterinary certificate/document as provided for by veterinary legislation.
• For products of non-animal origin a consignment is products covered by the same CN code coming from the same origin (same region and producer in Japan).

Multiple small lots of products in the same container

In the interest of reducing the administrative burden, the Commission have agreed a reduced documentation requirement for a container consisting of multiple small lots of products of non-animal origin:

• For all lots of feed and food of non-animal origin, all originating in Japan outside the 12 controlled prefectures or non specified products from within the controlled prefectures, all these lots can be accompanied by one single declaration/CED by which all the individual lots are listed with the respective quantity in a list as annex to the declaration.
• All lots of specified feed and food of non-animal origin originating in Japan within the 12 controlled prefectures have to be accompanied by a separate declaration/CED and analytical report for each lot.
• All consignments of feed and food of animal origin, including fish and fishery products, originating in Japan (regardless of prefecture) have to be accompanied by a separate declaration/CVED for each consignment (and for the consignments of specified products originating in the 12 controlled prefectures by an analytical report for the consignment).

Consignments not accompanied by declarations and a CED/CVED will be refused import.

Prior Notification

Port Health must be notified at least 2 days prior to the arrival of a specified consignment by submission of a CED/CVED two working days prior to arrival of the consignment to the DPE (Designated Point of Entry) or in the case of POAO the BIP (Border Inspection Post).

Documentary Checks

It is a requirement that documentary checks are carried out on all specified consignments.

Identity and Physical Checks

Identity and Physical checks, including laboratory analysis for the presence of caesium-134 and caesium-137, will be carried out at random.  Consignments will be detained at the port until results of testing and analysis are received from the laboratory.

Customs Clearance

In order for a consignment to obtain release for free circulation, the declaration/CED/CVED endorsed by port health must be notified to Customs on the entry to enable clearance via ALVS.

Costs

All costs resulting from these checks, including the cost of documentary checks, sampling and analysis and any enforcement measures taken in respect of a failed consignment have to be met by the importer.  View the current fees.