G/SPS/N/USA/2736  
 
12 March 2015  
(15-1419)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
1. Notifying Member: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item  number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; IC S numbers should be provided in 
addition, where applicable): Avocados 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[ ] All trading partners   
[X] Specific regions or countries: Mexico  
5. Title of the notified document: Proposed Rule: Import Programs: Mexican Hass 
Avocado  Language(s): English  Number of pages: 4 
http://www.regulations.gov/#!docu mentDetail;D=APH IS-2014-0088-0001  
6. Description of content: Commercial consignments of Hass avocado fruit are currently 
authorized entry into the continental United  States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico from the 
Mexican State of Michoacán under a systems approach to mitigate against quarantine 
pests of concern. We are proposing to amend the regulations to allow the importation of 
fresh Hass avocado fruit into the continental United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico from all of Mexico, provided individual Mexican St ates meet the requirements set out in the 
regulations and the operational workplan. Initially, this action would only apply to the 
Mexican State of Jalisco. With the exception of a clarification of the language concerning when sealed, insect-proof containers would be required to be used in shipping and the 
removal of mandatory fruit cutting at land and maritime borders, the current systems 
approach would not change. That systems approach, which includes requirements for orchard certification, limited production area , trace back labelling, pre-harvest orchard 
surveys, orchard sanitation, post-harvest safeguards, fruit cutting and inspection at the 
packinghouse, port-of-arrival inspection, and clearance activities, would then be required 
for importation of fresh Hass avocado fruit from all approved areas of Mexico. The fruit would also be required to be imported in commercial consignments and accompanied by 
a phytosanitary certificate issued by the national plant protection organization of Mexico 
with an additional declaration stating that the consignment was produced in accordance with the systems approach described in th e operational workplan. This action would 
allow for the importation of fresh Hass avocado fruit from Mexico while continuing to 
provide protection against the introduction of plant pests into the continental United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. 
Federal Register Vol. 80, No. 32, Wednesday, 18 February 2015, pages 8561-8564 
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/2736 
 
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  8. Is there a relevant international st andard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text)   
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    
[X] None 
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
[ ] Yes   [ ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable 
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 20 April 2015 
Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
You may submit comments by either of the following methods: 
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/ #!docketDetail;D=APHIS
-2014-0088  
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2014-0088, 
Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238 
Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may be viewed at 
http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2014-0088  
For Further Information Contact Mr. David B. Lamb, Senior Regulatory Policy Specialist, 
RPM, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; Tel: +(1 301) 
851 2103 
13. Text(s) available from: [X] National Notifi cation Authority, [ ] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (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