. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/USA/2315/Add.1 
10 January 2013  
 (13-0125) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
Addendum 
  
The following communication, received on 9 January  2013, is being circulated at the request 
of the Delegation of the United States of America. 
 
_______________ 
  
Final Rule:  Importation of Sand Pears From China (Docket No. APHIS-2011-0007) 
 The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is amending the fruits and 
vegetables regulations to allow the importation of sand pears ( Pyrus pyrifolia ) from China into the 
United States.  As a condition of entry, sand pears fr om areas in China in which the Oriental fruit fly 
(Bactrocera dorsalis ) is not known to exist will have to be  produced in accordance with a systems 
approach that includes requirements for regist ration of places of production and packinghouses, 
sourcing of pest-free propagative material, inspecti on for quarantine pests at set intervals by the 
national plant protection organization of China,  bagging of fruit, safeguarding, labeling, and 
importation in commercial consignmen ts.  Sand pears from areas in China in which Oriental fruit fly 
is known to exist may be imported into the United States if, in addition to these requirements, the 
places of production and packinghouses have a monito ring system in place for Oriental fruit fly and 
the pears are treated with cold treatment.  All sand pears from China will also be required to be 
accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating that all conditions 
for the importation of the pears have been met and that the consignment of pears has been inspected 
and found free of quarantine pests.  This action will allow for the importation of sand pears from 
China into the United States while continuing to provide protection against the introduction of 
quarantine pests. 
 This notice is available in English at: 
http://www.regulations.gov/#!docum entDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0007-0010  
Federal Register Volume 77, Number 244 (W ednesday 19 December 2012), Pages 75007-75011 
 This action is subsequent to a notice publis hed in the Federal Register on 16 December 2011 
(76 FR 78168-78172, Docket No. APHIS-2011-0007) to authorize the importation of sand pears from 
China into the United States.  We solicited commen ts concerning the proposed rule for 60 days ending 
14 February 2012.  We received five comments by that  date.  They were from the NPPO of China, a 
State department of agriculture, an organizati on representing State departments of agriculture, a 
technical committee representing the US pear indus try, and a private citizen.  The comments we 
received are discussed below, by topic. G/SPS/N/USA/2315/Add.1 
Page 2  
 
  This addendum concerns a: 
[ ] Modification of final date for comments 
[X] Notification of adoption, publication or entry into force of regulation 
[ ] Modification of content and/or scope of previously notified draft regulation 
[ ] Withdrawal of proposed regulation 
[ ] Change in proposed date of adoption, publication or date of entry into force 
[ ] Other:    
Comment period:  (If the addendum extends the scope of th e previously notified measure in terms 
of products and/or potentially affected Members, a new deadline for receipt of comments should be 
provided, normally of at least 60 calendar days.  Under other circumstances, such as extension of 
originally announced final date for comments, th e comment period provided in the addendum may 
vary.)  
[ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the addendum to the notification and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) :  This Rule is eff ective 18 January 2013. 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ ] National Notification Authority, 
[ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax num ber and e-mail address (if available) of other 
body: 
For further information contact:  Dr. Farrell Wise, Supervisory Agriculturist, Regulatory Coordination 
and Compliance, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737;  +(1 301) 851 2280.  
Text available from:  [X] National Notification Au thority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, 
fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body: 
United States SPS National Notification Authority, US DA Foreign Agricultural Service, International 
Regulations and Standards Division (IRSD), Stop 10 14, Washington D.C. 20250;  Tel:  +(1 202) 720 
1301;  Fax:  +(1 202) 720 0433;  E-mail :  us.spsenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov  
 
__________