. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/1824 
13 June 2008  
 (08-2766) 
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 and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the US 
Department of Agriculture 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numb er(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 :  Souss-
Massa (Morocco) 
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  PROPOSED RULE :  
Importation of Tomatoes From Souss- Massa, Morocco (Docket No. APHIS–2008–0017) 
(available in English, 6 pages) 
6. Description of content:  The Animal and Plant Health Insp ection Service is proposing to 
allow the importation of commercial consignm ents of tomatoes from the Souss-Massa region 
of Morocco subject to a systems approach simi lar to that which is already in place for 
tomatoes imported into the United States from other areas of Morocco.  The tomatoes would 
have to be produced under conditions that woul d include requirements fo r pest exclusion at 
the production site, fruit fly trapping insi de the production site, and pest-exclusionary 
packinghouse procedures.  The tomatoes would also be required to be accompanied by a 
phytosanitary certificate issued by the Moro ccan national plant protec tion organization with 
an additional declaration stating that the tomato es have been grown in  registered greenhouses 
in the Souss-Massa region and were 60 percent or less pink at the time of packing.  This 
action would allow for the importation of comm ercial consignments of tomatoes from the 
Souss-Massa region of Morocco into the United States while continuing to provide protection 
against the introduction of quarantine pests.  
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, [ X ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:    G/SPS/N/USA/1824 
Page 2  
 
  9. Relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:   F e d e r a l  R e g i s t e r :   
16 May 2008 (Volume 73, Number 96), Pa ges 28377-28382 (available in English) 
Full text and additional information:  Go to http://www.gpoaccess. gov/fr/advanced.html
, 
select 2008 FR Vol. 73, and type 28377 in search box.   
10. Proposed date of adoption:  N/A 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  N/A 
12. Final date for comments:  8 July 2008.   
Comments in general will be accepted at any ti me 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 publication of the final rule. 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification 
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or  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/f dmspublic/component/ 
main?main=DocketDeta il&d=APHIS-2008-0017 to submit or view comments and to view 
supporting and related material s available electronically 
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send two copies of your comment to Docket No. 
APHIS–2008–0017, Regulatory Analysis and Deve lopment, PPD, APHI S, Station 3A–03.8, 
4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. Please state that your comment 
refers to Docket No. APHIS–2008–0017. 
For further information contact:  
Ms. Sharon Porsche, Import Specialist, Commod ity Import Analysis and Operations, Plant 
Health Programs, PPQ,  APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133,  Riverdale, MD 20737–1231; tel. 
+(1 301) 734–8758. 
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notificati on authority, [   ] Na tional enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: 
United States SPS National Notification Aut hority, 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