G/SPS/N/USA/2737/Add.1  
 
15 October 2015  
(15-5421)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
Addendum 
The following communication, received on 15 October 2015, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of the United States of America. 
 
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 Final Rule: Importation of Tomato Plantlet s in Approved Growing Media From Mexico 
 
(APHIS-2014-0099) 
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Servic e is amending the regulations governing the 
importation of plants for planting to authorize the importation of tomato plantlets from Mexico in approved growing media, subject to a systems approach. The systems approach consists of 
measures currently specified for tomato plants for planting not imported in growing media, as well 
as measures specific to all plants for planting imported into the United States in approved growing media. Additionally, the plantlets must be import ed into greenhouses in the continental United 
States and the importers of the plantlets from Me xico or the owners of the greenhouses in the 
continental United States must enter into comp liance agreements regarding the conditions under 
which the plants from Mexico must enter and be maintained within the greenhouses. This rule allows for the importation into the continental United States of tomato plantlets from Mexico in 
approved growing media, while providing protection  against the introduction of plant pests. The 
rule also allows the imported greenhouse plantlets to produce tomato fruit for commercial sale within the United States. 
This notice is available in English at: http://www.regulations.gov/ #!documentDetail;D=APHIS-
2014-0099-0025 . 
In response to a request from the national plan t protection organization (NPPO) of Mexico, in a 
proposed rule published in the Federal Register (80 FR 11946-11950, Docket No. APHIS-2014-
0099) on 5 March 2015, we proposed to amend the regulations to authorize the importation into the continental United States of tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ) plantlets from Mexico in growing 
media, subject to a systems approach. Because we considered R. solanacearum  race 3 biovar 2 to 
exist in Mexico, the proposed systems approach included the measures specified in paragraph 
(r)(3) of § 319.37-5. Because the plantlets woul d be imported in growing media, the systems 
approach also included the general conditions in § 318.37-8 for all taxa of plants for planting 
imported into the United States in growing media.  F i n a l l y ,  w e  a l s o  p r o p o s e d  t h a t  t h e  p l a n t l e t s  
would have to be imported into greenhouses in the continental United States and the importers of the plantlets from Mexico or the owners of the greenhouses in the continental United States would 
have to enter into compliance agreements regarding the conditions under which the plants from 
Mexico must enter and be maintained within the greenhouses. APHIS solicited comments concerning our proposal for 60 days ending 4 May 2015. We received 19 comments by that date. 
Federal Register/Vol. 80, No. 191/Friday, 2 October 2015 pgs.59557-59561 G/SPS/N/USA/2737/Add.1 
 
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  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 the previously notified 
measure in terms of products and/or potent ially affected Members, a new deadline for 
receipt of comments should be provided, norm ally of at least 60 calendar days. Under 
other circumstances, such as extension of or iginally announced final date for comments, 
the 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) : Final Rule: Effectiv e 2 November 2015. 
Agency or authority designated to handle co mments: [ ] National Notification Authority, 
[ ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax nu mber and e-mail address (if available) of 
other body: 
Ms Lydia E. Colon, PPQ, APHIS,  4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverd ale, MD 20737-12 36; +(301) 851 
2302  
Text(s) available from: [X] National Notificati on Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point. 
Address, fax number and e-mail addre ss (if available) of other body: 
United States SPS National Notification Auth ority, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service,  
International Regulations and Standards Division (IRSD), Stop 1014, Washington D.C. 20250; Tel: 
+(1 202) 720 1301; Fax: +(1 202) 720 0433; E-mail: us.spsenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov  
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