G/SPS/N/USA/2703
2 October 2014 
(14-5532)  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): Fruits and vegetables 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document: Proposed rule: Establishing a Performance Standard 
for Authorizing the Importation and Interstate Movement of Fruits and Vegetables (Docket No. APHIS-2010-0082)  Language(s): English  Number of pages: 7 
http://www.regulations.gov/#!docu mentDetail;D=APH IS-2010-0082-0001  
6. Description of content: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is 
proposing to amend our regulations governing the importations 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. We 
are also proposing to remove the region- or commodity-specific phytosanitary 
requirements currently found in these regulations. Likewise, we are proposing an 
equivalent revision of the performance standard in our regulations governing the interstate movements of fruits and vegetables from Hawaii and the U.S. territories 
(Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and the 
removal of commodity-specific phytosanitary requirements from those regulations. This proposal would allow for the approval of requests to authorize the importation 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 would 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 Register, Vol. 79, No. 174, Tuesday, 9 September 2014, Pages 53346-53352 
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/2703 
 
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  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)    
[ ] 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) : 10 November 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/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2010-0082 . 
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2010-0082, 
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-2010-0082 . 
For Further Information Contact Ms. Nicole L. Russo, Assistant Director, Regulatory 
Coordination and Compliance, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 
20737-1231; Tel: +(301) 851 2159. 
13. Text(s) available from: [X] National Notifi cation Authority, [ ] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if availabl e) 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