. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/USA/2254 
8 August 2011  
 (11-3991) 
Committee on Sanitary and 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 numbe r(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: 
[ ] All trading partners   
[X] Specific regions or countries:  Economic Community of West African States 
 (ECOWAS)  
5. Title of the notified document:  Proposed Rule:  Importation of Tomatoes from the 
Economic Community of West African States into the Continental United States (Docket 
No. APHIS-2011-0012)  Language(s):  English  Number of pages:  4 
 http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-08-02/html/2011-19518.htm  
6. Description of content:  The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is 
proposing to amend the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the importation of 
tomatoes from the member States of the Ec onomic Community of West African States 
(ECOWAS) into the continental United States.  As a condition of entry, tomatoes from the ECOWAS would be subject to a systems appro ach that would include requirements for pest 
exclusion at the production site, fruit fly tr apping and monitoring, and procedures for 
packing the tomatoes.  The tomatoes would also be required to be accompanied by a 
phytosanitary certificate issued by the national plant protection organization of the exporting country with an additional declaration that the tomatoes had been produced in accordance with the proposed requirements.  Th is action would allow for the importation of 
tomatoes from the ECOWAS into the continenta l United States while continuing to provide 
protection against the introduction of quarantine pests. 
Federal Register:  2 August 2011. Vo lume 76, Number 148, Pages 46209-46212. 
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/2254 
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)    
[X] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    
[ ] None 
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
 [X] 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:      
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  Not applicable 
Proposed 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 
[X] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
3 October 2011. 
Agency or authority designated to handl e 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-2011-0012) to submit 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-2011-0012, 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-2011-0012. 
For further information contact:  Mr. Phillip Grove, Regulatory Coordinator, PPQ, APHIS, 
4700 River Road, Unit 156, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236;  +1 (301) 734-6280. 
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 Fore ign Agricultural Service, International 
Regulations and Standards Division (IRSD), Stop 1014, Washington D.C. 20250;  Tel:  +(1 
202) 720 1301;  Fax:  +(1 202) 720 0433;  E-mail:  us.s psenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov