Effective February 25, 2021, the Postal Service™ is revising the International Country Listing for Japan in Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM®) to note additional import requirements for mail items containing plants sent to Japan.
This revision is based on a formal request that Japan Post (the designated postal operator of Japan) made through the Universal Postal Union via International Bureau Circular 152, dated October 19, 2020.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM)
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Individual Country Listings
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Japan
Country Conditions for Mailing
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Restrictions
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[Revise the entry that begins with “Plants” to read as follows:]
Plants are limited to parcels and small packets only, and are prohibited unless accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the country of origin, in accordance with Japan’s national legislation. For a U.S. mailer, the phytosanitary certificate must come from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Japan’s national legislation authorizes the destruction of items that do not have the proper documentation. Japan’s national legislation recommends that the outer package contains the words “Contains plants,” “Requires plant inspection,” “Plants,” “Plant seeds,” or similar wording. Confirmation of import conditions and additional guidance is available through the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries at pps.go.jp/english/index.html.
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Although effective February 25, 2021, the Postal Service will incorporate this revision into the next edition of the online IMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification,
Product Solutions, 2-25-21
