. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/344
20 October 2000
(00-4360)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  UNITED STATES
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service - APHIS
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where
applicable).  Clementine oranges   Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the
extent relevant or practicable:  Morocco and Spain
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document: Clementine Oranges from Morocco
and Spain in Transit
5. Description of content:  This notice is being issued to inform importers to prepare for
expected changes to the Safeguard Regulations (7 CFR 352).  The safeguard regulations
currently allow for untreated fruit from various countries to transit the United States for
export to another country.
The current regulation requires that clementine oranges from Spain and Morocco transiting
the United States, and moving to Canada, be under USDA seals.  The new regulations will
require that all shipments transiting the United States be labelled; that a review of inspection
and clearance procedures at ports be conducted, with adjustment of procedures, when
needed; and implementation of other, more stringent guidelines for Transport and Export.
These changes are necessary because of increased volume of in-transit shipments of
untreated clementines from Spain and Morocco to Canada, through the United States.Medfly is known to infest clementines from Spain and Morocco, and the risk of transporting
pest with untreated clementines is high compared to many other medfly hosts from other
countries which transit the United States.
Changes that will take place as a result of this action include: the labeling of boxes; the
verification and documentation of USDA seals on transiting clementines through the UnitedStates to Canada; the stamping of T&E papers; and informing industry of these actions.
This policy will be published in the Federal Register in the very near future.
6. Objective and rationale: [    ] food safety,  [     ] animal health,  [  X ] plant protection,
[    ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [    ] protect territory from
other damage from pests           G/SPS/N/USA/344
Page 2
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [    ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:  APHIS is proposing this action in accordance
with Article 6, Paragraph 1 of the Intern ational Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Memo from the
Associate Director, Plant Health Programs, USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service to the United States SPS Notification Authority dated 13 October 2000 (Availablein English).
9. Proposed date of adoption:  15 December 2000
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  15 December 2000
11. Final date for comments:  15 November 2000
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  USDA, Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service  [    ] National notification authority, [     ] National enquiry point, or
address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
PPQ, OS, Directors Office
Attn: Mr. John Payne
4700 River Road Unit 131Riverdale, Maryland 20737
Tel:  301-734-8261
Fax:  301-734-7639
12. Texts available from: [  X ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
United States SPS Enquiry Point/Notification Authority
USDA/FAS/FSTSDATTN: Carolyn F. Wilson
Room 5545 South Agriculture Building
Stop 1027
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250
Tel:  (202) 720-2239
Fax (202) 690-0677E-mail Address: ofsts@fas.usda.gov