. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/609
1 July 2002
(02-3662)
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 should be provided in addition, where
applicable):   Imported cargo
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:   Any
trading partners
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Redelivery of Cargo for
Inspection (2 pages, available in English)
6. Description of content:   The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is
proposing to amend the regulations pertaining to the inspection of cargo entering theUnited States to provide that inspectors from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) may require that cargo be re turned to the port of first arrival or, if
convenient, another location as specified by APHIS for inspection when necessary.  All
cargo is subject to inspection at the port of first arrival by an APHIS inspector and is not
supposed to be removed from that port before the inspector releases it;  however, for avariety of reasons, cargo is sometimes moved from the port of first arrival prior to
inspection by APHIS. In these situations, APHIS inspectors must request that the US
Customs Service act on their behalf and order the cargo returned to the port for inspection.
Amending the regulations would allow APHIS inspectors to deal directly with owners,
shippers, brokers, and their agents and would increase the efficiency of both APHIS andthe Customs Service by simplifying the current system.
7. Objective and rationale:  [    ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [ X ] plant protection,
[  ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or di sease,  [   ]  protect territory from other
damage from pests
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[ X ] International Plant Protec tion 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:   67 FR 41868,
20 June 2002;  available in English.
10. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determinedG/SPS/N/USA/609
Page 2
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined
12. Final date for comments:   APHIS will consider all comments we receive on or before
19 August 2002.
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification
authority, [   ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:   Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Detailed instructions on where and how to send comments are in the body of the full text
which will be sent upon request to the address in paragraph 13.
13. 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 10271400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250
Phone (202) 720-2239
Fax (202) 690-0677
E-mail Address:  fstsd@fas.usda.gov