G/SPS/N/USA/2860  
 
13 May 2016  
(16-2665)  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): Lemons 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[ ] All trading partners   
[X] Specific regions or countries: Argentina  
5. Title of the notified document: Proposed Rule: Imports: Lemons from Northwest 
Argentina (Docket No. APHIS--2014-0092)  Language(s): English  Number of 
pages: 7 
https://www.regulations.gov/#!docu mentDetail;D=APHIS-2014-0092-0001 
6. Description of content: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is 
proposing to amend the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the importation of 
lemons from northwest Argentina into the continental United States. As a condition of 
entry, lemons from northwest Argentina would have to be produced in accordance with a systems approach that would include requirements for importation in commercial 
consignments; registration and monitoring of  places of production and packinghouses; 
pest-free places of production; grove sanitati on, monitoring, and pest control practices; 
treatment with a surface disinfectant; lot id entification; and inspection for quarantine 
pests by the Argentine national plant protection organization. Additionally, lemons from 
northwest Argentina would have to be harvested green and within a certain time period, or treated for Medfly in accordance with an  approved treatment schedule. Lemons from 
northwest Argentina would also be required to be accompanied by a phytosanitary 
certificate with an additional declaration stating that the lemons have been inspected 
and found to be free of quarantine pests and were produced in accordance with the proposed requirements. This action would allow for the importation of lemons from 
northwest Argentina into the United States while continuing to provide protection against 
the introduction of quarantine pests. 
Federal Register/Vol. 81, No. 90/Tuesday, 10 May 2016/pgs. 28758-28764. 
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.   
8. Is there a relevant international st andard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial  n u m b e r  o f  C o d e x  
standard or related text)   G/SPS/N/USA/2860 
 
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  [ ] 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) : 11 July 2016 
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-2014-0092. 
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comments to Docket No. APHIS-2014-0092, 
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-2014-0092. 
For further information contact: Mr Juan A. (Tony) Román, Senior Regulatory Policy 
Specialist, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; 
+(301) 851 2242. 
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  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