G/SPS/N/USA/2616  
 
13 January 2014  
(14-0132)  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): Fresh blueberry fruit 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[ ] All trading partners   
[X] Specific regions or countries: Morocco  
5. Title of the notified document: Proposed Rule: Importation of Fresh Blueberry Fruit 
from Morocco into the Continental United States (Docket No. APHIS-2013-0016)  
Language(s): English  Number of pages: 3 
http://www.regulations.gov/#!docu mentDetail;D=APH IS-2013-0016-0001  
6. Description of content: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is 
proposing to amend the regulations concerning the importation of fruits and vegetables 
to allow the importation of fresh blueberry fruit from Morocco into the continental United 
States. As a condition of entry, the blueberries would have to be produced under a systems approach employing a combination of mitigation measures for two quarantine 
pests, Ceratitis capitata  and Monilinia fructigena , and would have to be inspected prior 
to exportation from Morocco and found free of these pests. The blueberries would have 
to be imported in commercial consignments only and would have to be treated with one 
of two approved postharvest treatments to mitigate the risk of C. capitata . The 
blueberries would also have to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating that the conditions for importation have been met. This action would allow the importation of blue berries from Morocco while continuing to 
protect against the introduction of plant pests into the United States. 
Federal Register: Vol. 78, No. 251, Tuesday, 31 December 2013, pages 79634-79636. 
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 number of Codex 
standard or related text)   
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[X] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    G/SPS/N/USA/2616 
 
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  [ ] None 
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
[X] 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 
[X] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 3 March 2014 
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/#!docu mentDetail;D=APH IS-2013-0016-0001 . 
 
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2013-0016, 
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-2013-0016 .  
 
For further information contact: Ms Dorothy Wayson, Senior Regulatory Policy Specialist, 
PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; +1 (301) 851 2036. 
13. Texts 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 Auth ority, 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