. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/USA/2292 
7 November 2011  
 (11-5678) 
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):  Plants for planting 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:    
5. Title of the notified document:  Notice of Importation of Plants for Planting; Risk-Based 
Sampling and Inspection Approach and Propa gative Monitoring and Release Program 
(Docket No. APHIS-2011-0092)  Language(s):  English  Number of pages:  2 
 http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-10-20/html/2011-27173.htm  
6. Description of content:  The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is advising the 
public of our decision to implement a risk-b ased sampling approach for the inspection of 
imported plants for planting.  In our previous approach, we inspected 2 per cent of consignments of imported plants for planting regardless of previous evidence of the risk 
posed by the plants for plan ting.  The risk-based sampling and inspection approach will 
allow us to target high-risk plants for planti ng for more extensive inspection to help ensure 
that plants for planting infested with quaran tine pests do not enter the United States, while 
providing a speedier inspection process for lower-risk  plants for planting.  In addition, for 
taxa of plants for planting that pose an  extremely low risk, we are establishing a 
Propagative Monitoring and Release Program unde r which consignments of those taxa will 
be periodically monitored but not every consignment will be inspected. 
Federal Register: Volume 76, Number 203 (Thursday, October 20, 2011), Pages 65165-
65166 
7. Objective and rationale:  [ ] food safety, [ ] animal health, [X] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or  disease, [X] protect territory from other 
damage from pests.    G/SPS/N/USA/2292 
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) :  17 October 2011 
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) :  17 October 2011 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  Not applicable 
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:   
For further information contact:  Mr. Gor don Muraoka, National Plant Inspection Station 
Coordinator, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734-
0932; or Dr. Mary Palm, Senior Mycologist  and Lab Director, National Identification 
Services, Molecular Diagnostic Lab, PPQ, APHIS, B-580, BARC-East, Powder Mill Road, 
Beltsville, MD 20705; +1 (301) 504-7154 
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.spsenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov