G/SPS/N/USA/2860/Add.2  
 
9 January 2017  
(17-0099) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: E nglish  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
Addendum  
The following communication, received on 6 January 2017, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the United States of America . 
 
_______________  
 
 
Final Rule: Imports: Lemons from Northwest Argentina (Docket No. APHIS -2014-0092) 
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is amending the fruits and vegetables regulations 
to allow the importation of lemons from northwest Argentina into th e continental United States. 
As a condition of entry, lemons from northwest Argen tina would have to be produced in 
accordance with a systems approach that includes requirements for importation in commercial 
consignments; registration and monitoring of places of production and packinghouses; pest -free 
places of production; grove sanitat ion, monitoring, and pest control practices; treatment with a 
surface disinfectant; lot identification; and inspection for quarantine pests by the Argentine 
national plant protection organization. Additionally, lemons from northwest Argentina will have to 
be harvested green and within a certain time period, or treated for Mediterranean fruit fly in 
accordance with an approved treatment schedule. Lemons from northwest Argentina will also be 
required to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an ad ditional declaration stating 
that the lemons have been inspected and found to be free of quarantine pests and were produced 
in accordance with the requirements. This action allows for the importation of lemons from 
northwest Argentina into the United State s while continuing to provide protection against the 
introduction of quarantine pests.  
This notice is available in English at:  
https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=APHIS -2014-0092-0420. 
On 10 May 2016, we published in the Federal Register (81 FR 28758, Docket No. APHIS -2014-
0092) a proposal to amend the regulations to allow the importation of commercial consignments of 
fresh lemons from northwest Argentina into the continental Un ited States, subject to a systems 
approach. APHIS solicited comments concerning our  proposal for 60 days ending 11  July 2016. We  
extended the deadline for comments until 10 August 2016, in a document published in the Federal 
Register on 11 July 2016 (81 FR  44801, Docket No. APHIS -2014-0092). We received 
414 comments by that date.  
This addendum concerns a:  
[ ] Modification of final date for comments  
[X] Notification of adoption, publication or entry into force of regulation  
[ ] Modification of content an d/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:   G/SPS/N/USA/2860/Add.2  
 
- 2 - 
 
  Comment period: (If the addendum extends the scope of the 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, 
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) : The Rule is effective 23 January 2017.  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ ] National Notification Authority, 
[ ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of 
other body:  
Mr Juan A. (Tony) Román, Senior Regulatory Policy Specialist, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 
133, Riverdale, MD 20737 -1236; +(301) 851 2242  
Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point. 
Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:  
United States SPS National Notification Authority, USDA Foreign Agricultur al 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  
__________