. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/1924 
14 May 2009  
 (09-2379) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
 
 
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES  
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Animal and 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):  Certain fruits, vegetables and other articles subject to phytosanitary 
treatments 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[ X ] All trading partners, or 
[   ] Specific regions or countries:    
5. Title of the notified document:  Proposed Rule:  Phytosanitary Treatments;  Location of 
and Process for Updating Treatment Schedules (Docket No. APHIS-2008-0022) Language:  English  Number of pages:  29 
6. Description of content:  The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing to 
revise the phytosanitary treatment regulations in 7 CFR part 305 by removing the lists of 
approved treatments and treatment schedules from the regulations, while retaining the 
general requirements for performing treatme nts and certifying or approving treatment 
facilities.  We would remove treatment schedules from other places where they are currently found in 7 CFR chapter III as well.  Approved treatment schedules would instead 
be found in the Plant Protection and Quarantin e Treatment Manual, which is available on 
the Internet.  We are also proposing to estab lish a new process to provide the public with 
notice and the opportunity to comment on chang es to treatment schedules.  Finally, we 
would harmonize and combine the requirement s for performing irradiation treatment for 
imported articles, articles moved interstate from Hawaii and US territories, and articles 
moved interstate from an area quarantined for fruit flies.  These changes would simplify and expedite our processes for adding, cha nging, and removing treatment schedules while 
continuing to provide for public  participation in the process.  These changes would also 
simplify our presentation of treatments to the public by consolidating all treatments into 
one document and eliminating redu ndant text from the regulations. 
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/1924 
Page 2  
 
  8. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  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 N°)     
[ 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:  Federal 
Register:  12 May 2009 (Volume 74, Number  90), Notices Pages 22317-22345.  Available 
online in English at:  http://edocket.access.gpo. gov/2009/E9-10188.htm  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  Not applicable 
Propose 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 ):  13 July 2009 
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:    
You may submit comments by either of the following methods: 
• Federal eRulemaking Portal:  Go to http://www.regulations.gov/
 and search on the 
docket number (APHIS–2008-0022) to subm it or view comments and to view 
supporting and related materials available electronically. 
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery:  Please send two copies of your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS–2008–0022, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A–03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737–1238.  Please state that your comment refers to Docket No. APHIS–2008–0022. 
For further information contact:  Dr. Inder P.  S. Gadh, Senior Risk Manager-Treatments, 
Regulations, Permits, and Manua ls, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, 
MD 20737-1236;  +(1 301) 734 8758 
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 Authority, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, International Regulations and Standards Division (IRSD), Stop 1027, Washington D.C. 
20250;  Tel:  +(1 202) 720 1301;  Fax:  +(1 202) 720 0433;  E-mail:  
us.spsenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov