. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/USA/189 
9 May 2006 
 (06-2264) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   UNITED STATES
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service  (USDA, APHIS) (195)  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:         
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:         
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable):   Fruits and vegetables 
(HS:  Chapter  0803);  (ICS:  67)   
5. Title, number of pages and langua ge(s) of the notified document:   Revision of Fruits and 
Vegetables Import Regulations  (56 pages, in English). 
6. Description of content:   We are proposing to revise and reorganize the regulations 
pertaining to the importation of fruits and vege tables to consolidate requirements of general 
applicability and eliminate redundant require ments, update terms and remove outdated 
requirements and references, update the regulat ions that apply to importations into 
territories under U.S. administration, and ma ke various editorial and non-substantive 
changes to regulations to make them easier  to use. We are also proposing to make 
substantive changes to the regulations, including : Establishing criteria within the regulations 
that, if met, would allow us to approve certain  new fruits and vegetables for importation into 
the United States and to acknowledge pest-free ar eas in foreign countries more effectively 
and expeditiously; doing away with the practice of listing specific commodities that may be imported subject to certain types of phytosanita ry measures; and providing for the issuance 
of special use permits for fru its and vegetables. These changes are intended to simplify and 
expedite our processes for approving certain new imports and pest-free areas while 
continuing to allow for public participation in the processes. This proposal, if adopted, 
would represent a significant structural revision of the fruits and vegetables import regulations and would establis h a new process for approving certain new commodities for 
importation into the United States. It would not, however, allow the importation of any 
specific new fruits or vegetables, nor would it alter the conditions for importing currently 
approved fruits or vegetables except as specifi cally described in this document. To the 
extent to which trading partners consider th e time it takes to conduct the rulemaking process 
a trade barrier, by reducing that time, these proposed changes may facilitate the export of U.S. agricultural commodities. The proposed ch anges would not alter the manner in which 
the risk associated with a commodity import request is evaluated, nor would it alter the manner in which those risks are ultimately mitigated. G/TBT/N/USA/189 
Page 2  
 
  7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Protection of human life and health 
8. Relevant documents:   71 Federal Register (FR) 25009 27 April 2006; Title 7 Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 305,319, and 35 2.  Will appear in the Federal Register 
when adopted. 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:   }To be determined 
10. Final date for comments:   26 July 2006 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:   
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/24 22/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/06-
3897.htm 
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/24 22/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/
06-3897.pdf