. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/1228 
9 February 2006 
 (06-0566) 
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:  USDA -Animal and Plant H ealth Inspection Service  (APHIS)  
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):  Tomatoes  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable:  
Costa Rica, El Salvador,  Guatem ala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama  
5. Title, language and number of p ages of the notified document:  Importation of 
Tomatoes from Certain Central American C ountries (Available in English, 3 pages). 
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html  
6. Description of content:  APHIS is proposing to amend the regulations governing the 
importation of fruits and vege tables in order to allow pink and red tomatoes grown in 
approved registered production sites in Cost a Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, 
Nicaragua, and Panama to be imported into  the United States without treatment.  The 
conditions to which the propo sed importation of tomatoes would be subject, including 
trapping, pre-harvest inspection, and shipping procedures are designed to prevent the introduction of quarantine pests into the United States.  This action would allow for the importation of pink and read tomatoes fro m those countries in Central America while 
continuing to provide protection against the introduction of quarantine pests into the 
United States. 
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: 
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission,  [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention,  [   ] None 
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:  Article 6 of the IPPC Requirements in relation 
to Imports  
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Federal Register: 
6 February 2006 (Volume 71, Number 24), Page  6011-6016.  From the Federal Register 
Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr06fe06-8].  Available in English.  G/SPS/N/USA/1228 
Page 2  
 
  10. Proposed date of adoption:  To be announced  
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  To be announced  
12. Final date for comments:  7 April 2006 , please refer to Docket No-APHIS 2006-0009.  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X ] National notification 
authority, [   ] National enquiry point,  or address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
Ms Lashonda McLeod, United States SPS Nationa l Notification Authority, USDA Foreign 
Agricultural Service, Food Safety & Technical Services Division, Stop 1027, Washington, 
DC 20250.  Tel:  202-720-5683;  Fa x:  202-690-0677;  Email:  fstsd@fas.usda.gov  
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notifi cation authority, [   ] National enquiry 
point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:   
Ms Lashonda McLeod, United States SPS Nationa l Notification Authority, USDA Foreign 
Agricultural Service, Food Safety & Technical Services Division, Stop 1027, Washington, DC 20250.  Tel:  202-720-5683;  Fa x:  202-690-0677;  Email:  fstsd@fas.usda.gov