G/SPS/N/USA/2703/Add.1  
 
18 September 2018  
(18-5726) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
Addendum  
The following communication, received on 17 September 2018, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of the United States of America . 
 
_______________  
 
 
Final Rule:  Establishing a Performance Standard for Authorizing the Importation and Interstate 
Movement of Fruits and Vegetables  [Docket No. APHIS -2010-0082] 
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is amending its regulations governing th e 
importation of fruits and vegetables by broadening our existing performance standard to provide for 
approval of all new fruits and vegetables for importation into the United States using a notice -based 
process. APHIS is also removing the region  - or comm odity-specific phytosanitary requirements 
currently found in these regulations. Likewise, APHIS is making an equivalent revision of the 
performance standard in our regulations governing the interstate movement of fruits and vegetables 
from Hawaii and the U .S. territories (Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. 
Virgin Islands) and removing the commodity -specific phytosanitary requirements from those 
regulations. This action will allow for the approval of requests to authorize the importati on or 
interstate movement of new fruits and vegetables in a manner that enables a more flexible and 
responsive regulatory approach to evolving pest situations in both the United States and exporting 
countries. It will not, however, alter the science -based process in which the risk associated with 
importation or interstate movement of a given fruit or vegetable is evaluated or the manner in which 
risks associated with the importation or interstate movement of a fruit or vegetable are mitigated. 
(Federal Regi ster Vol. 83, No. 179 Friday 14 September 2018 pages 46627 -46639).  
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 notifi ed 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 comme nts, 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) : Not applicable  G/SPS/N/USA/2703/Add.1  
 
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  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. Benjamin J. Kaczmarski, Assistant Director, Regulatory Coordination and Compliance, PPQ, 
APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737 -1231; Tel: +(301) 851 2127.   
Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [  ] National Enquiry Point. 
Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:  
https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=APHIS -2010-0082-0031 
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