. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/1002 
17 November 2004 
 (04-4975) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   UNITED STATES
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:   The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service - APHIS 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Plant and plant products 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable:  
Trading partners 
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:    
Requirements for Requests to Amend Import Regulations,  Federal Register: 
28 October 2004 (Volume 69), Number 208;  Page 62823-62829 
English, http://www.aphis.us da.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html   
Or http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getd oc.cgi?dbname=2004_regis ter&docid=fr28oc04-
15 
6. Description of content:  The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is 
proposing to establish regulations governing the submission of requests for changes in its 
regulations that restrict the importation of plan ts, plant parts, and plant products. APHIS is 
proposing this action because, despite existing non-regulatory guidance on the submission of requests, few applicants provide the b asic information APHIS requires to properly 
consider their requests. APHIS expects that a doption of this proposal would help ensure 
that APHIS is provided with the information AP HIS needs to prepare a risk analysis and/or 
other analyses that evaluate the risks and other effects associated with the proposed change 
to the regulations. This information is need ed for APHIS to effectively consider the 
request, and submission of the information at the time the request is made allows APHIS to 
proceed with its consideration of the request in a timely manner. 
7. 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/1002 
Page 2  
 
 8. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [ X ] International Plant Protection Convention, [   ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:    
9. Relevant documents and language(s ) in which these are available:  Not available 
10. Proposed date of adoption:   To be announced 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   To be announced 
12. Final date for comments:  27 December 2004 to Docket No. 02-132-1 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification 
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or  address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   Ms. Julie Morin, Acting United St ates SPS Enquiry Point Officer, 
Food Safety and Technical Services Division, USDA/ Foreign Agricultural Service Telephone:  202 720-4051;  Fax:  202 690 -0677, fstsd@fas.usda.gov 
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notificati on authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:   
Ms. Julie Morin, Acting United States SPS Enqui ry Point Officer, Food Safety and Technical 
Services Division, USDA/ Foreign Agricultural Service  Telephone:  202 720-405;  Fax:  202 690-0677, fstsd@fas.usda.gov