. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/1624 
26 June 2007  
 (07-2697) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
 
 
 
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  UNITED STATES  
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the US 
Department of Agriculture 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Blueberries 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable :  South 
Africa, Uruguay and Argentina  
5. Title, language and number of p ages of the notified document:  Importation of 
Blueberries from South Africa, Uruguay, and Ar gentina with Cold Treatment (available in 
English, 5 pages) 
6. Description of content:  The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is 
proposing to amend its plant hea lth regulations to allow the importation into the continental 
United States of fresh blueberries from Sout h Africa and Uruguay under certain conditions. 
As a condition of entry, the blueberries would have to undergo cold treatment and would 
have to be accompanied by a phytosanitary  certificate issued by the national plant 
protection organization of the exporting c ountry.  This action would allow for the 
importation of blueberries from South Africa  and Uruguay into the continental United 
States while continuing to provide protection against the introduction of quarantine pests. In addition, APHIS is proposing to allow the use of cold treatment for blueberries imported 
into the United States from Arge ntina.  This action would provide an alternative to the 
methyl bromide treatment that is currently required for blueberries imported from 
Argentina. 
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. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[ X ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [ ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [ ] International Plant Protection Convention, [ X ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the 
appropriate reference and briefly identify deviations:    G/SPS/N/USA/1624 
Page 2  
 
  9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Federal Register: 
5 June 2007 (Volume 72, Number 107).  Pages 30979-30984; 
http://frwebgate6.access.gpo.gov/cgi-
bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=3709691 22071+0+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve  
10. Proposed date of adoption:  N/A 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  N/A  
12. Final date for comments:  APHIS will consider all comments regarding this proposed rule 
that are received on or before 20 July 2007 and all comments regarding the information 
collection requirements associated with this  proposed rule that are received before 
6 August 2007. 
Comments in general will be accepted at anytime after publication of the notice of filing; 
however, if a final rule is promulgated, it will address only those comments that were received prior to publica tion of the final rule. 
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ ] National notification 
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:     
Submit written or electronic comments by any of the following methods: 
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov
  Follow the instructions 
for submitting comments. 
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, 
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road  Unit 118, Riverdale, MD  20737-1238 
Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name and Docket Number APHIS-2006-0121 for this rulemaking.  
For further information contact: Mr. Tony Romaacuten, Import Specialist, Commodity 
Import Analysis and Operation Staff, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, 
MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-8758. 
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notification authority, [ ] National enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail add ress (if available) of other body:   United States 
SPS National Notification Authority, USDA/ Foreign Agricultural Service, International Regulations and Standards Division (ISRD ), Stop 1027, Washington, DC  20250; 
Tel: 202-720-1301;  Fax: 2 02 690-0677;  e-mail:  fstsd@fas.usda.gov