. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/277
17 May 2000
(00-2015)
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, whereapplicable).  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable:  Avocado
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Mexican Hass Avocado Import
Programme (2 pages)
5. Description of content:  The Government of Mexico has requested that the Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service consider amending its regulations regarding the
importation of Hass avocado fruit from Mexico to expand the number of States in which
the fruit may be distributed and to increase the length of the shipping season during which
Hass avocados may be imported into the United States. In this notice, we are asking thepublic for its comments and recommendations regarding the scope of our review and are
soliciting any additional data or information that may have a bearing on our review of the
Mexican Government's request. We will use any information gathered through this notice
as we consider the Mexican Government's request that we expand the length of the
shipping season during which, and the number of approved States into which, Mexican
Hass avocados may be imported into the United States.
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           
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 considering taking this action in
accordance with Article 6, Paragraph 1 of the International Plant Protection Convention
(IPPC).
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: 65 FR 30365,
11 May 2000 (Available in English)
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined.
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined.G/SPS/N/USA/277
Page 2
11. Final date for comments:  9 August 2000
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  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:  Detailed
instruction on where and how to send comments is in the body of the full text - which willbe sent upon request to the address in paragraph 12.
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/FSTSD
Attn: Carolyn F. Wilson
Room 5545 South Agriculture Building
Stop 1027
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.Washington, D.C. 20250
Phone (202) 720-2239
Fax (202) 690-0677
E-mail Address: ofsts@fas.usda.gov