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United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Plant Protection and Quarantine

Importation of fresh litchi fruit (Litchi 

chinensis) from Australia into the 

continental United States

 Risk Management Document

December 08, 2008

Ver. 002

Plant Health Programs (PHP)

Commodity Imports Analysis and Operations (CIAO)

Contact Person: Donna L. West
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A. Introduction

The Government of Australia (GOA) has requested permission to import fresh litchi,

Litchi chinensis Sonn., fruit into the continental United States (US). The GOA also 

indicated in its request that these litchis could have stem parts of up to 5 mm in length 

attached to the fruit as part of the consignment. Litchis (also called Lychee, Leechee, or 

Lychee nut) are currently enterable into most of the United States from countries such as 

China, Grenada, India, Israel, and Taiwan (7 CFR 319.56) and from the State of Hawaii 

(7 CFR 318.13-4f) with or without a treatment

(http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/treatment.shtml). 

Litchis have not been imported from Australia before, so a pathway-initiated risk 

assessment was conducted. In doing so, the assessment also evaluated the pest risks 

associated with stem parts of up to 5 mm in length as attached to the litchi fruit. The pest 

risk assessment document, Importation of Fresh Litchi, Litchi chinensis Sonn., Fruit from 

Australia into the Continental United States: A Qualitative, Pathway-initiated Risk 

Assessment (USDA, 2008), found fifteen quarantine pests, fourteen insects and one mite,

that could potentially follow the pathway of commercial consignments of fresh litchi

fruit. Of the fourteen insect pests, seven were rated as high risk and the remaining 

seven, as medium risk. The only non-insect pest, Aceria litchii, a litchi rust mite (also 

called erinose mite), was rated as medium risk.

Pests with high risk potential:

Bactrocera jarvisi (Tryon) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Ceroplastes rubens (Maskell) (Hemiptera: Coccidae)

Conogethes punctiferalis (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Cryptophlebia ombrodelta (Lower) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Isotenes miserana Walker (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Pests with medium risk potential:

Aceria litchii (Keifer) (Acari: Eriophyidae)

Cateremna quadriguttella Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Coccus viridis (Green) (Hemiptera: Coccidae)

Deudorix diovis Hewitson (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

Deudorix epijarbas dido Waterhouse (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

Nipaecoccus viridis (Newstead) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

Phycita leucomilta Lower (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Planococcus minor (Maskell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)
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APHIS - Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) commodity pest risk assessment (PRA) 

guidelines state that for pests rated medium or higher, specific phytosanitary measures 

beyond a standard port-of-entry inspection may be necessary to mitigate the pest risks

(USDA, 2000). 

The proposed importation of litchi from Australia, if approved, would be regulated by an 

amendment to the existing Subpart fruit and vegetable regulations (7 CFR § 319.56). 

This document outlines the phytosanitary measures that APHIS will require if the 

proposed importation of this commodity from Australia is approved and documents the 

evidence used by APHIS to conclude that these measures will effectively prevent the 

introduction of quarantine pests. 

B. Proposed Risk Mitigation Measures for Litchi

APHIS proposes to allow the importation of the fresh fruit of litchi (Litchi chinensis) with 

up to 5 mm stem parts attached from Australia into the continental United States, except 

Florida, under the following conditions: 

(a) The fruit must be irradiated in an APHIS-certified facility with a minimum absorbed 

dose of 400 Gy. The fruit must follow packaging and other requirements of 7 CFR parts

305.31 and 319.56.

(b) Each consignment must be inspected jointly by APHIS and Government of Australia

(GOA) inspectors and accompanied by a Phytosanitary Certificate (PC) issued by the 

National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of Australia stating that the consignment 

received or will receive irradiation treatment with 400 Gy as the minimum absorbed dose. 

(c) In addition to meeting the labeling requirements of 7CFR 305.31, each carton must 

also be stamped with “Not for importation into or distribution in FL.”

(d) Each consignment is subject to inspection at the United States ports-of-entry. 

(e) The fruits are commercially produced and part of a commercial consignment only.

 

C. Historical Performance of Importing Irradiated Fruits

Although current regulations 7CFR 305.31 allow the use of irradiation to treat fruit for 

importation into the United States, no country has shipped irradiated litchis to the United 

States. Regulation 7CFR318.13-4f allows interstate movement of fifteen different fruits, 

including litchis from Hawaii, treated with irradiation at a minimum absorbed dose of 

150 Gy to 400 Gy for fruit flies and other quarantine pests. No living pests of quarantine 

significance have been intercepted in irradiated Hawaiian fruits or vegetables shipped to 

the mainland U.S. (Uyeda, 2005). In addition, consignments of Australian mangoes 

irradiated with 150 Gy dose and imported into New Zealand since 2004 have resulted in 

having no pests of concern intercepted by the importing country (Edwards, 2005).
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D. Evidence for the Effective Removal of Pests of Concern from the Pathway

The measures described in Section B would effectively remove the pests of concern from 

the stated pathway. 

Except for a mite, Aceria litchii, all the pests of concern for the importation of litchi from 

Australia are insects. Irradiation of fruits and vegetables with a minimum absorbed dose 

of 400 Gy is an APHIS approved treatment for mitigating risks from all insect pests 

except adults and pupae of the order Lepidoptera (USDA, 2006). Of the fourteen insect

pests of concern, seven belong to the order Lepidoptera (USDA, 2008). However, the 

adult or pupal stages of all these Lepidopteran pests are either not associated with the 

mature fruit or they feed externally and are large enough to be detected during 

preclearance inspections (BA, 2007). None of these Lepidopteran pests are known to 

pupate inside the fruit. The life stages of Lepidopteran pests that may be found internally

in the fruit are eggs and larvae. Irradiation with a minimum absorbed dose of 400 Gy is 

an approved treatment to mitigate risks from these immature stages of Lepidopteran pests

(USDA, 2006). 

Aceria litchii is the only non-insect pest of quarantine significance that could follow the 

litchi pathway. The 400 Gy irradiation dose is not approved for this mite, and because of 

the mite’s microscopic size, inspection alone is not considered sufficient to mitigate the 

risk of introduction into the United States. Based on the distribution and reported host 

range of this pest, we estimate it could establish in the continental United States in U.S.

Plant Hardiness Zones 9-10. Neither of its two hosts, longan or litchi, occur naturally in 

the United States (USDA NRCS, 2003); however, both litchis and longans are

commercially grown in the southern United States (NCSU CIPM, 2003). In the absence 

of an effective post-harvest treatment, we are prohibiting the importation or distribution 

of Litchi from Australia into Florida, where longan and litchi are cultivated. This is 

consistent with current regulations allowing importation or movement of litchis from 

other countries or States infested with this mite, including Hawaii, China, India, and 

Thailand, whether irradiated or not. 

The requirement for a PC provides phytosanitary security by requiring Australian

officials to conduct phytosanitary inspections for the pests targeted and not 

targeted by the treatment. This effectively doubles the inspections the fruit 

receives. 

U.S. regulations on the use of irradiation require that the treatment be monitored where 

applied and the shipment examined by APHIS and the NPPO of the exporting country

prior to departure as part of preclearance activities for pests of concern. Although 400 

Gy irradiation dose is effective for all insect pests except the adults and pupae of 

Lepidoptera, inspections by the two NPPOs should ensure that the shipments are free of 

the two mature stages of the Lepidopteran pests of concern
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Allowing only the commercial consignments into the United States assumes that the 

fruits and vegetables would undergo standard post harvest commercial handling (e.g. 

culling, packing, and sanitation) and ensures shipment integrity and trace back capability, 

as outlined in the Operational Workplan. 

E. Conclusion

The phytosanitary requirements described above include treatment of litchi from 

Australia with irradiation using a minimum absorbed dose of 400 Gy, inspections for the 

pests not targeted by the irradiation treatment, and prohibition of importation and 

distribution into Florida. 

APHIS concludes that based on the evaluation of effectiveness of these mitigation 

measures directed against the pests of concern, safeguards of 7 CFR § 319.56 and 

requirement of a PC as described in this Risk Management Document will result in the 

effective removal from the pathway of the pests of concern identified by the pest risk 

assessment (USDA, 2008) for the importation of fresh litchi from Australia.

F. Authors

Inder Paul S. Gadh, Ph. D.

Senior Risk Manager –Treatments

paul.gadh@aphis.usda.gov

Donna L. West

Senior Import Specialist

donna.l.west@aphis.usda.gov
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G. Literature Cited:

BA. 2007. Biosecurity Australia’s Response to APHIS’ Risk Assessment for Australian 

Litchi (Litchi chinenesis Sonn). Dated May 2007, 14 pp.

Edwards, G. 2005. Personal Communication from G. Edwards of N.Z. Department of 

Agriculture & Fishries to Karen Ackerman of USDA, APHIS, PPQ, Phytosanitary Issues 

Management, Riverdale, MD.

NCSU CIPM. 2003. USDA Crop Profiles. North Carolina State University Center for 

Integrated Pest Management. http://cipm.ncsu.edu/CropProfiles/. Last accessed July

2007.

USDA. 2000. Guidelines for Pathway-Initiated Pest Risk Assessments. Version 5.02. October 

17, 2000.

USDA. 2006. Treatments for Fruits and Vegetables. January 27, 2006 issue of Federal 

Register 71(18): 4451-4464.

USDA. 2008. Importation of Fresh Litchi, Litchi chinensis Sonn., Fruit from Australia into 

the Continental United States: A Qualitative, Pathway-Initiated Pest Risk Assessment. 85

pp. 

USDA NRCS. 2003. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5. National Plant Data Center. 

http://plants.usda.gov/. Last accessed July 2007.

Uyeda, E. 2005. Personal communication from E. Uyeda, Port Director, US Department of 

Agriculture, USDA, APHIS, PPQ, Hilo, HI.