Japanese Health Ministry Removes Reinforcement Inspection Condition from Pakistan Origin Rose Petals and Rose Petal Processed Products

(24-04-2020): In a correspondence with the Trade & Investment Wing at the Embassy of Pakistan in Tokyo, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has conveyed lifting of the condition of Reinforced Inspection on the import of “rose petals and processed products of rose petals” from Pakistan. This condition was imposed in December 2016 and took effect in the year 2017 as a result of review under the Japanese Ministry’s Food Monitoring and Guidance Plan, 2016.

The more stringent inspection condition was raised due to presence of residual agricultural chemical Triazophos in some processed products using rose petals from Pakistan, putting it under the watch-list.

However, according to Ambassador Mr. Imtiaz Ahmad, as a result of better compliance to the required standards with no fresh detection in the past year and the Embassy’s close liaison with the Ministry, this condition has been removed to categorize rose petals and its processed products from Pakistan under ordinary inspection scheme. He also indicated towards a well planned series of efforts being made to tap the huge potential of exports of flower and flower based products from Pakistan to Japan where such natural products have a high level of demand given the required standards are met properly.

While describing it as an opportunity for diversifying exports from Pakistan, Mr. Tahir Habib Cheema, Trade & Investment Counsellor pointed towards the need to educate local farmers in Pakistan regarding the economic feasibility of growing flowers having commercial value in international market and about the processes required for complying with the global standards in this industry; further adding that this capacity building can fetch them optimal value of their produce in high-paying markets. At the same time, he believes that Pakistani exporters can target industries and products consuming such flowers as raw material like cosmetics, organic supplements, natural medicines, and baking ingredients to offer more value added products made from flowers and flower parts.

In a tweet, Secretary Commerce Mr. Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera lauded the efforts of Pakistani Mission in Tokyo and thanked the Japanese Government for this positive review. He also encouraged the stakeholders – growers, exporters and regulators, involved in trade of flowers to make best use of this facility by ensuring continued compliance to the standards for increasing the share of Pakistan’s exports to Japan.

 

Tokyo, PR# 13/2020

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