G/SPS/N/USA/2616/Add.1  
 
6 August 2014  
(14-4594)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
Addendum 
The following communication, received on 6 August 2014, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the United States of America. 
 
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 Final Rule:  Importation of Fresh Blueberries from Morocco into the Continental United States 
(Docket No. APHIS-2013-0016) 
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is amending the regulations concerning 
the importation of fruits and vegetables to allow the importation of fresh blueberries from Morocco 
into the continental United States. As a condition of entry, the blueberries must be produced under 
a systems approach employing a combination of mitigation measures for two quarantine pests, 
Ceratitis capitata  and Monilinia fructigena , and must be inspected prior to exportation from 
Morocco and found free of these pests. The blueberries may be imported in commercial 
consignments only and must be treated with on e of two approved postharvest treatments to 
mitigate C. capitata . The blueberries will have to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate 
with an additional declaration stating that the conditions for importation have been met. This action will allow the importation of blueberries from Morocco while continuing to protect against 
the introduction of plant pests into the United States. 
This notice is available in English at: http://www.regulations.gov/ #!documentDetail;D=APHIS-
2013-0016-0012 . 
Federal Register Volume 79, No. 146, Wednesday, 30 July 2014, pages 44117-44120. 
On 31 December 2013, we published in the Federal Register (78 FR 79634-79636, Docket 
No. APHIS-2013-0016) a proposal to amend the regulations to allow the importation of fresh 
blueberries from Morocco into the continental United States. We prepared a pest risk assessment 
(PRA), titled "Importation of Fresh Fruit of Highbush Blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum Linnaeus) 
and its hybrid varieties Southern Highbush Blueberry [ V. corymbosum×angustifolium  
(V.×atlanticum ) and V. corymbosum×virgatum ] into the Continental United States from Morocco" 
(March 2012). The PRA evaluated the risks associated with the importation of blueberries into the 
continental United States from Morocco. Based on the information contained in the PRA, we have determined that measures beyond standard port-o f-entry inspection are required to mitigate the 
risks posed by these quarantine pests. To recomme nd specific measures to mitigate those risks, 
we prepared a risk management document (RMD). 
Based on the RMD, we proposed to require the blueberries to be produced under a systems 
approach employing a combination of mitigation measures for two quarantine pests, Ceratitis 
capitata  and Monilinia fructigena , and inspected prior to exportation from Morocco and found free 
of those pests. We proposed to require the blueberries to be imported in commercial consignments only and to be treated with one of two approved postharvest treatments to mitigate the risk of 
C. capitata . We also proposed to require the blueberries to be accompanied by a phytosanitary 
certificate with an additional declaration stating that the conditions for importation have been met. 
We solicited comments concerning the proposed rule for 60 days ending 3 March 2014. We 
received six comments by that date. G/SPS/N/USA/2616/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) : This rule is effective 29 August 2014. 
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: 
For further information contact: Ms Dorothy Wayson, Senior Regulatory Policy Specialist, PPQ, 
APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 39, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; +(301) 851 2036. 
Text 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 Authority, 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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