Questions and 

Answers: Importing 

Irradiated Fruit from 

Thailand into the 

United States

Q. When did the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) publish the final rule to allow litchis longans, 

mangoes, mangosteens, pineapples, and rambutans from Thailand into the United States?

A. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) published the final rule in the Federal 

Register on June 21, 2007. Under Title 7 of the Code 

of Federal Regulations, Part 319.56-47, the final rule 

allows, under certain conditions, the importation of six 

fruits—litchi, longan, mango, mangosteen, pineapple, 

and rambutan—from Thailand into the United States. 

Q. What are the requirements for exporting the six 

fruits to the United States?

A. To ensure plant pests of quarantine significance do 

not enter the United States through the importation of 

these fruits, APHIS preclearance officers in Thailand 

inspect fruit shipments for pests prior to export. If no 

pests are detected, a shipment is authorized to be 

treated prior to export with specified doses of irradiation at an APHIS-certified facility. If, however, pests 

of quarantine significance are found during a preclearance inspection, the shipment is refused treatment 

and is not eligible for export to the United States.

Fruit must be packed in pest-proof boxes and be 

safeguarded after treatment to prevent reinfestation. It 

must also be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the national plant protection organization (NPPO) of Thailand with an additional declaration 

certifying that the treatment and inspection of the fruit 

were made in accordance with U.S. import regulations. Longans and litchis are required to be packed 

in marked boxes indicating their prohibition for import 

into and distribution within Florida.

Q. How do I begin the process of importing litchis, 

longans, mangoes, mangosteens, pineapples, 

and/or rambutans from Thailand?

A. To begin importing litchi, longan, mango, mangosteen, pineapple, and rambutan from Thailand, you 

must first apply for an APHIS permit. You can apply 

for a permit online via APHIS’ ePermits system at 

www.aphis.usda.gov/permits by completing the Plant 

Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Form 587 for fresh 

fruits and vegetables. ePermits is a Web-based tool 

that allows you to apply for a permit, check its status, 

and view it online. 

As an alternative, you can also submit an application to PPQ’s Permit Services unit. The address 

is: Permit Services, USDA–APHIS–PPQ, 4700 River 

Road, Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737. The permit 

application form is available online at http://www.aphis.

usda.gov/ or by calling (877) 770-5990. The permit to 

import any of the six fruits from Thailand is valid for 

1 year from its issuance date. 

Q. Are there any other requirements for importing 

these fruits from Thailand?

A. Yes. In addition to USDA requirements, the Food 

and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of 

Homeland Security’s (DHS) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have specific requirements for importing litchi, longan, mango, mangosteen, pineapple, 

and rambutan from Thailand. For information about 

FDA’s requirements, please e-mail industry@fda.gov. 

For information on CBP’s requirements, please visit 

www.cbp.gov. You may also contact an international 

customs broker who will help you with inspection 

and shipping logistics as well as the various agency 

approvals.

Q. What happens when my shipment arrives in the 

United States?

A. When your fruit arrives at a U.S. port of entry, CBP 

inspectors will verify three documents accompanying 

the shipment to ensure it was properly treated and 

inspected: 

• PPQ Form 203—Foreign Site Certificate of Inspection—signed by an APHIS officer in the exporting 

country;

• Phytosanitary certificate issued by Thailand’s 

NPPO to certify that the shipment has been 

treated; and 

• APHIS import permit, verifying that the shipment 

has been authorized by USDA to be imported into 

the United States.

If these entry requirements are not met, the shipment will be prohibited entry. In addition, CBP inspectors may further inspect precleared commodities at the 

port of first arrival. 

APHIS	 Factsheet

Plant Protection and Quarantine November 2007
Q. When traveling, can I carry fresh litchis, 

longans, mangoes, mangosteens, pineapples, 

and/or rambutans from Thailand to the United 

States in my personal baggage?

A. No. The rule only applies to commercial shipments 

of irradiated fruit from Thailand. Individuals traveling 

from Thailand to the United States cannot bring these 

fruits, even if they have been treated, in their personal 

baggage. The fruit must enter the United States via 

commercial channels (air or ship) where quarantine 

security can be assured. Boxes of fruit leaving that 

chain of custody are prohibited entry into the 

United States.

Q. Can I send litchis, longans, mangoes, mangosteens, pineapples, and/or rambutans from 

Thailand to the United States through the mail?

A. No. As stated above, these fruits can only be 

commercially shipped to the United States. The fruit 

must be sent directly from the irradiation facility to 

its means of commericial conveyance (air or ship) 

and then exported directly to the United States. This 

ensures a strict chain of custody in the event the 

imported fruit shows signs of pest infestation.

Q. Why haven’t these fruits from Thailand been 

allowed into the United States until now?

A. APHIS approved the use of irradiation as a quarantine treatment for imported fruits and vegetables 

in October 2002. In January 2006, APHIS published 

another rule approving a minimum generic dose 

(400 gray) of irradiation for imported fruits and 

vegetables. Until the availability of this generic dose, 

the pests associated with the six fruits from Thailand 

could not be mitigated with any other APHIS-approved 

treatment. 

Q. What is food irradiation?

A. Irradiation involves briefly exposing food to ionizing 

energy for a specific length of time in order to destroy 

or sterilize bacteria, microorganisms, or other pests 

of concern. Food is irradiated in a special processing facility and never comes in direct contact with the 

energy source. It is important to note that irradiation 

does not necessarily kill all pests; it will, however, sterilize them, rendering them incapable of reproducing 

or emerging from host to adult. Thus, there may be 

instances where you will see insects on fruit; however, 

if they have been treated, they are not harmful to you 

or the fruit. 

Q. How does the process of irradiation affect 

pests?

A. The energy waves produced during the irradiation 

process physically breaks the molecular structure of 

the pests’ DNA, killing or sterilizing them. However, 

at specified doses, the structure of the atom is not 

affected. 

Q. Is it safe to eat irradiated fruits and/or 

vegetables?

A. Yes. The FDA has evaluated the safety of this 

technology over the last 40 years. The FDA has found 

irradiation to be safe under a variety of conditions 

and has therefore approved its use for many foods. 

The agency determined that the process is safe and 

effective in decreasing or eliminating harmful bacteria, 

insects, and parasites. In certain fruits and vegetables, it inhibits sprouting and delays ripening, which 

allows for a longer shelf life.

Food irradiation is currently used in over 50 

countries to control plant pests and is approved by 

the World Health Organization, the American Medical 

Association, and many other organizations around the 

world. Although food irradiation has been in existence 

since the 1950s, scientists have just recently begun 

focusing on its ability to control harmful pests and 

diseases associated with fruits and vegetables. 

Q. How do I know if my food has been irradiated?

A. The FDA requires that irradiated foods include 

labeling with either the statement, “treated with radiation” or “treated by irradiation” along with the international symbol for irradiation, called the Radura. 

Q. Where can I find out more information on this 

subject?

A. To learn more about imports of litchi, longan, 

mango, mangosteen, pineapple, and rambutan from 

Thailand into the United States, please visit the APHIS 

Web site at www.aphis.usda.gov and click on the 

Irradiated Fruits from Thailand hot issues link.

United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits 

discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis 

of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where 

applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political 

beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s 

income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not 

all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with 

disabilities who require alternative means for communication 

of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) 

should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 

(voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write 

to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W. , Washington , D.C. 20250–9410 , 

or call (800) 795–3272 (voice) or (202) 720–6382 (TDD). 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.