G/SPS/N/USA/3008  
 
20 June 2018  
(18-3857) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member: UNITED STATES OF AME RICA 
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; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable): Fresh avocado fruit  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[ ] All trading partners  
[X] Specific regions or countries: Ecuador  
5. Title of the notified document: Proposed Rule: Importation of Fresh Avocado Fruit From 
Continental Ecuador into the Continental United States [Docket No. APHIS -2016-0099] . 
Language(s): English.  Number of pages: 5 
https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=APHIS_FRDOC_0001 -2198 
6. Description of content: APHIS is proposing to amend the fruits and vegetables 
regulations to allow the importation into the continental United States of fresh avocado 
fruit from continental Ecuador. As a condition of entry, fresh avocado fruit from continental 
Ecuador would have to be produced in a ccordance with a systems approach that would 
include production site registration, field sanitation, packinghouse procedures designed to 
exclude the quarantine pests, and procedures for packing, storing, and shipping the 
avocado fruit. The fruit would also  have to be imported in commercial consignments, with 
each consignment identified throughout its movement from place of production to port of 
entry in the continental United States. The systems approach for all fresh avocado fruit 
from continental Ecuador,  except Hass avocados, would also have to include production 
site pest control measures. Consignments would have to be accompanied by a 
phytosanitary certificate issued by the national plant protection organization of Ecuador 
certifying that the fruit was produced in accordance with the systems approach. This 
proposed rule would allow for the importation of fresh avocados from continental Ecuador 
into the continental United States while continuing to provide protection against the 
introduction of quarantine  pests.  (Federal Register Vol. 83, No. 116, Friday 15 June 2018 
pages 27918 -27922).  
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/3008  
 
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  8. Is there a relevant international standard? 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) : To be determined.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments: [  ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 14 August 2018  
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:  
Ms. Claudia Ferguson M.S., Senior Regulatory Policy Specialist, Regulatory Coordination 
and Compliance, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737 -1231; 
Tel: +(301) 851 2352.  
13. 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/documen t?D=APHIS_FRDOC_0001 -2198 
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