. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/2030/Add.1 
11 January 2011  
 (11-0189) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
Addendum
 
  
The following communication, received on 5 January  2011, is being circulated at the request 
of the Delegation of the United States
. 
 
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Final Rule: Hass Avocados From Mexico; Importa tion Into the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and 
Other Changes (Docket No. APHIS-2008-0060)  
 The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Se rvice (APHIS) of the US Department of 
Agriculture is amending the regulations governing th e importation of fruits a nd vegetables to provide 
for the importation of Hass avocados  from Mexico into Puerto Rico  under the same systems approach 
currently required for the importation of Hass a vocados into all States of the United States from 
Michoacán, Mexico.  The systems approach require ments include trapping, orchard certification, 
limited production area, trace back labelling, pre-ha rvest orchard surveys for all pests, orchard 
sanitation, post-harvest safeguards,  fruit cutting and inspection at the packinghouse, port-of-arrival 
inspection, and clearance activities.  This action w ill allow for the importation of Hass avocados from 
Michoacán, Mexico, into Puerto Rico while contin uing to provide protection against the introduction 
of quarantine pests.  In addition, we are amending the regulations to provide for the Mexican national 
plant protection organization to use an approved designee to inspect avocados for export and to 
suspend importation of avocados into the United States from Michoacán, Mexico, only.  This final 
rule was effective on 28 December 2010. 
 This final rule is available in English a t: Federal Register: 28 December 2010 (Volume 75, 
Number 248) Notices Pages 81372-8 1376. To view online, go to 
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/advanced.html , select 2010 FR Vol. 75, and type "81372" in the search 
box (with quotation marks). 
 This action is subsequent to a proposed rule published in the Federal Register on 
14 May 2010 (2010 FR Volume 75, Number 93, Pages 27225-27227, Docket No. APHIS-2008-
0060), in which APHIS announced a proposal to amend the regulations to:  allow the importation of 
Hass avocados from Michoacán, Me xico, into Puerto Rico, under the same conditions required for 
importation into the 50 States;  provide for the Mexican national plant protection organization (NPPO) to use an approved designee to inspect avocados for export;  and limit the scope of 
suspension of export certification to the orchard or packinghouse in which pests are found, rather than 
the municipality in which the orchard or packinghouse is located.  (To view this notice online, go to 
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/advanced.html
, select 2010 FR Vol. 75, and type "27225" in the search 
box (with quotation marks)).  
 G/SPS/N/USA/2030/Add.1 
Page 2  
 
   We solicited comments concerning our proposal for 60 days ending 13 July 2010.  We 
received four comments by that date.  They were from associations of avocado producers and representatives of State and foreign governments. 
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 commen ts:  [ ] National Notification Authority, [ ] 
National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body: 
For further information contact: Mr. David B. La mb, Import Specialist, Re gulatory Coordination and 
Compliance, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; +1 (301) 734-
0627  
Text available from:  [X] National Notification Au thority, [ ] 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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