Mr. Marco Gonzalez

Secretariat for the Montreal Protocol\
P. O. Box 30552, Nairobi, Kenya

Dr. H.J. Banks

10 Beltana Road

Pialligo, ACT 2609 Australia

Dr. Nahum Marban Mendoza

Autonomic University of Chapingo

PO Box 56230

Chapingo, Mexico

Dear Mr. Gonzalez, Dr. Banks, and Dr. Mendoza:

Please find attached the United States government response to the
questions provided by MBTOC regarding the U.S. 2005 supplemental and
2006 CUE request. These responses are organized by sector for your
convenience.

In preparing the CUE nominations and these responses, we have considered
all resources available to us, including but not limited to: MBTOC
reports, published articles, research reports, and personal
communications with researchers and growers. We strive to answer MBTOC
questions based on a thorough examination of all relevant material. In
the future, it may facilitate our understanding of specific aspects of
questions if MBTOC could provide data, or references to the relevant
data, that are the basis for some of its questions. We believe this
could assist us in providing MBTOC with as complete and accurate a
response as possible.

With respect to the U.S. requests in two tobacco-related sectors, we
have recently consulted with these applicant groups and the U.S.
Government withdraws our nominations for these two sectors that were
considered by MBTOC in its June 2004 report. Specifically, we withdraw
for consideration our CUE requests for CUN2003/056UScN7 (Nursery float
trays for tobacco seedlings) and US56N13 (tobacco -- seedlings).

In our bilateral meeting at the Open Ended Working Group, information
was requested on the precise details of any movement of CUE applicants
to different sectors between the 2005 and 2006 CUE requests. Table 1
below summarizes all such changes.

Table 1. Description of What U.S.A. Applications Have Been Moved To New
Sectors

  --------------------------- ------------------ -------------------------
  **Recategorized             **From 2005**      **To 2006**
  Applicants:**                                  

  Ham                         Commodities        Ham

  CA Rose Nursery             Ornamentals        Fruit, Nut, and Flower
                                                 Nursery

  Western Raspberry Nursery   Orchard Seedlings  Fruit, Nut, and Flower
                                                 Nursery

  CA Assoc. of Nurserymen -   Orchard Seedlings  Fruit, Nut, and Flower
  Deciduous Fruit & Nut Tree                     Nursery
  Growers                                        
  --------------------------- ------------------ -------------------------

For your convenience, Table 2 below displays the name of each of the
sector specific responses to MBTOC questions in separate electronic
files.

Table 2. List of Electronic Filenames

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
  **Title of Electronic Files**

  CUN2003 Stru USA NPMA Dried Commodities and Structures Reply to June
  2004 Questions.doc

  CUN2003 Comm USA Dry Cured Pork Products Reply to June 2004
  Questions.doc

  CUN2003 Soil USA Eggplant & Peppers Reply to June 2004 Questions.doc

  CUN2003 Soil USA Orchard Replant Request to Reconsider June 2004.doc

  CUN2003 Soil USA Ornamentals Reply to June 2004 Questions.doc

  CUN2003 Soil USA Strawberry Fruit Reply to June 2004 Questions.doc

  CUN2003 Soil USA Strawberry Runners Reply to June 2004 Questions.doc

  CUN2003 Stru USA 01 Mills & Processors Reply to June 2004 Questions.doc

  CUN2003 Stru USA 02 Mills & Processors Reply to June 2004 Questions.xls

  CUN2003 Soil USA Tomato Reply to June 2004 Questions.doc

  USA 2006 BUNI -- Refined Nomination Package.xls
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

As a final point, the United States requests that MBTOC reconsider its
recommendation to cut our request in the orchard replant sector. A
detailed explanation describing the need for the amount of methyl
bromide included in our request is attached.

I hope that the information provided in this response helps the MBTOC in
its deliberations at its next meeting. Should you need further
clarification on these questions, please contact John Thompson
(ThompsonJE2@state.gov or 1 202 647 9799) on these matters.

Sincerely,

> Claudia A. McMurray
>
> Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment