. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/1824/Add.1 
9 November 2009  
 (09-5584) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
Addendum
 
  
The following communication, received on 6 November 2009, is being circulated at the 
request of the Delegation of the United States
. 
 
_______________  
  
Final rule:  Importation of Tomatoes from  Souss-Massa-Draa, Morocco (APHIS-2008-0017)
 
 The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Se rvice (APHIS) of the US Department of 
Agriculture is amending the regulations to allo w the importation of commercial consignments of 
tomatoes from the Souss-Massa-Draa region of Morocco subject to a systems approach similar to that 
which is already in place for tomatoes imported into the United States from other areas within 
Morocco.  The tomatoes will have to  be produced under conditions that include requirements for pest 
exclusion at the production site, fruit fly trapping in side the production site, and pest-exclusionary 
packinghouse procedures.  The tomatoes will also be required to be accompanied by a phytosanitary 
certificate issued by the Moroccan national plan t protection organization with an additional 
declaration stating that the tomatoes have been grow n in registered pest-exclusionary structures in the 
Souss-Massa-Draa region and were pink at the time  of packing.  This action will allow for the 
importation of commercial consignm ents of tomatoes from the Souss-Massa-Draa region of Morocco 
into the United States while continuing to provide  protection against the introduction of quarantine 
pests.  This final rule is effective on 2 December 2009. 
 This final rule is available in English at:  Federal Register:  2 November 2009 (Volume 74, 
Number 210) Notices Pages 56523-56526.  To view online, go to 
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/advanced.html , select 2009 FR Vol. 74, and type "56523" in the search 
box (with quotation marks). 
 This action is subsequent to a proposed rule published in the Federal Register on 
16 May 2008 (2008 FR Volume 73, Number 96, Pages 28377-28382, Docket No. APHIS–2008–0017), in which APHIS announced a proposal to ame nd the regulations to allow the importation of 
commercial shipments of tomatoes from the Sous s-Massa-Draa region of Morocco subject to a 
systems approach similar to that which is already in place in that section for tomatoes imported into 
the United States from other areas within Morocco.  (To view this notice online, go to http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/advanced.html
, select 2008 FR Vol. 73, and type "28377" in the search 
box (with quotation marks)).  We solicited comme nts concerning our proposal for 60 days ending 
15 July 2009.  We received four comments by that  date.  They were from a State department of 
agriculture, representatives of growers and importe rs, and the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture. G/SPS/N/USA/1824/Add.1 
Page 2  
 
   
This addendum concerns a : 
[   ] Modification of final date for comments 
[ X ] Notification of adoption, publication or entry into force of regulation 
[   ] Modification of content and/or scope  of previously notified draft regulation 
[   ] Withdrawal of proposed regulation 
[   ] Change in proposed date of adoption,  publication or date of entry into force 
[   ] Other:    
Comment period: (If the addendum extends the scope of th e previously notified measure in terms 
of products and/or potentially affected Members, a new deadline for receipt of comments should be 
provided, normally of at least 60 calendar days.  Under other circumstances, such as extension of 
originally announced final date for comments, th e comment period provided in the Addendum may 
vary.)  
[   ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the addendum to the notification and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) :  Not applicable 
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
: 
For further information contact:  Ms. Charisse Clea re, Project Coordinator, Regulations, Permits, and 
Manuals, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 156, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; +1 (301) 734-0773  
Text 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 Authority, US DA Foreign Agricultural Service, International 
Regulations and Standards Division (IRSD), Stop 10 27, Washington D.C. 20250;  Tel:  +(1 202) 720 
1301;  Fax:  +(1 202) 720 0433;  E-mail :  us.spsenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov  
 
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