United States 

Department of 

Agriculture

Animal and 

Plant Health 

Inspection 

Service

May 2012

Analysis in Support of Certification that the 

Rule will not have a Significant Economic 

Impact on a Substantial Number of Small 

Entities

Proposed Rule

APHIS 2012-0042

RIN 0579-[AD69]

Importation of Fresh Beans (Phaseolus 

vulgaris L), Shelled or in Pods, from Jordan 

Policy & Program Development

Policy Analysis & Development
i

Summary

This analysis examines the expected economic impact for U.S. small entities of a 

proposed rule that would allow importation of fresh beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L), shelled or in 

pods (French beans, green beans, snap beans, and string beans), from Jordan into the continental 

United States. This proposed rule would allow importation of only fresh P. vulgaris from 

Jordan. 

The Small Business Administration’s small-entity standard for U.S. farms that produce 

fresh beans is annual receipts of not more than $750,000. In 2007, the average market value of 

sales by the 15,654 U.S. farms that produced snap beans for the fresh market was about $25,400, 

well below the small-entity standard. 

Jordan expects to export 200 metric tons of fresh beans to the continental United States 

annually. This quantity is equivalent to less than one-tenth of one percent of U.S fresh snap bean 

production. While most entities that may be affected by the proposed rule are small, the impact 

of the rule would be minor. The proposed rule, if promulgated, will not have a significant 

economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
1

Introduction 

This analysis provides the basis, as required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act, for 

certification by the APHIS Administrator that the proposed rule, if promulgated, will not have a 

significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.

APHIS received a request from the Kingdom of Jordan to authorize the importation of

fresh beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L), shelled or in pods (French beans, green beans, snap beans, 

and string beans), from Jordan into the continental United States. The proposed rule would 

allow importation of only fresh P. vulgaris from Jordan. In this analysis, we use the common 

name ‘snap bean’ when referring to fresh P. vulgaris.

In response to Jordan’s request, APHIS produced a pest risk analysis and risk 

management document. The latter identifies the risk mitigation measures that would prevent the 

introduction of plant pests in commercial shipments of fresh beans from Jordan. These measures 

would include packing the beans in packinghouses approved by Jordan’s national plant 

protection organization, washing, and cutting or shredding. Only commercial consignments of 

beans would be eligible for importation, and they would need to be accompanied by a certificate 

attesting that phytosanitary requirements have been met. 

The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires agencies to evaluate the potential effects of their 

proposed and final rules on small business, small organizations and small governmental 

jurisdictions. Section 603 of the Act requires an agency to prepare an initial regulatory 

flexibility analysis (IRFA) that describes the expected impact of the rule on small entities and a 

description of any significant alternatives to the proposed rule which accomplish the stated 

objectives of applicable statutes and which minimize any significant economic impact of the 

proposed rule on small entities. In place of the IRFA, the head of the agency may certify that a 
2

proposed rule will not have a significant economic impact on substantial number of small 

entities. 

U.S Production and Trade

Snap beans are produced across the United States, and are marketed as either fresh or for 

processing. In 2010, fresh beans accounted for about 23 percent of U.S snap bean production.

Table 1 shows that annual fresh snap bean production in the United States from 2008 to 2010 

averaging about 244,000 metric tons (MT). Jordan expects to export 200 MT of fresh beans to 

the continental United States per year, that is, less than one-tenth of one percent of U.S fresh 

snap bean production. 

Table 1. Annual U.S fresh snap bean production, 2008-2010

Year Production (MT) 

2008 264,172

2009 237,002

2010 229,608

 Average 

(2008-2010) 243,594

Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service, Vegetables and Melons Statiitics 

http://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Ag_Statistics/2011/Chapter04.pdf

Four States (Florida, California, Georgia, and New York) supplied 80 percent of the 

United States’ fresh snap beans, 2008-2010 (table 2).

1

 Florida was the dominant producer (42

percent), followed by California (17 percent), Georgia (14 percent), and New York (7 percent). 

While the nation’s snap bean production declined by 13 percent over this three-year period (and 

 

1 National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) chapter IV statistics of vegetables and melons, 

http://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Ag_Statistics/2011/Chapter04.pdf
3

Florida’s production declined by 27 percent), the four States’ combined 80 percent share of 

national production remained unchanged. 

Table 2. Fresh snap bean production in Florida, California, Georgia, New York, and nationally

2008-2010 

 Production (Metric Tons) 

State 2008 2009 2010

Florida 120,474 96,706 87,634

California 27,624 47,899 47,627

Georgia 42,411 32,659 27,805

NewYork 21,863 12,156 21,273

Four State Total 212,372 189,420 184,340

Four State Percentage Share 80% 80% 80%

Total U.S Production 264,172 237,002 229,608

Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service, Vegetables and Melons Statistics. 

Trade data solely for fresh P. vulgaris are not available. This species of bean is grouped

with other Phaseolus species as well as with Vigna species, which include cowpeas (also known 

as black-eyed peas) and mung beans. For the 10-year period, 2001-2010, U.S. annual imports of 

fresh or chilled beans included within this aggregate trade category averaged 27,737 MT and

U.S. exports averaged 36,341 MT.2 Thus, annual net exports of fresh or chilled beans, including 

P. vulgaris, averaged about 8,600 MT over the 10 years. This quantity is a relatively small

amount, equivalent to less than 5 percent of the nation’s fresh snap bean production. 

Potential Impact on Small Entities

As part of the rulemaking process, APHIS evaluates whether regulations are likely to 

have significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. Fresh bean 

 

2 U.S. Census Bureau, as reported by Global Trade Information Services,Inc., http://www.gtis.com/GTA/. 

Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading 070820, Beans (Vigna spp., Phaseolus spp.), fresh or chilled..
4

production is classified within the North American Industry Classification System under Other 

Vegetable (except Potato) and Melon Farming (NAICS 111219). The Small Business 

Administration classifies a business in this industry as small if its annual receipts are not more 

than $750,000.3The latest data on the number of farms that produce snap beans are found in the 

2007 Census of Agriculture. In 2007, the average market value of snap beans sold by farms was

about $25,400.

4 We conclude that most if not all fresh snap bean farms are small entities. 

In 2007, there were 17,300 snap bean farms, of which 90 percent (15,654) harvested 

beans for the fresh market.

5

Table 3 shows that one-third of farms that harvested snap beans for 

the fresh market were located in six States: North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, Kentucky, 

Ohio, and Michigan. Notably, the three States shown in table 2 as having the largest levels of 

fresh snap bean production, Florida, California, Georgia, are not listed in table 3; their snap bean 

farms in 2007 numbered 370, 370, and 358, respectively. The data indicate that snap bean

production in these three States takes place on farms that are large in comparison to the national 

average. 

 

3

Small Business Administration, Table of Small Business Size Standards, 

http://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/Current_Size_Standards_Table.pdf

4

2007 U.S Census of Agriculture and NASS Statistics of Vegetables and Melons 

http://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Ag_Statistics/2011/Chapter04.pdf

5

2007 Census of Agriculture – State Data, Table 30. 

http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/usv1.pdf
5

Table 3. States with the largest number of snap bean farms where the beans were harvested for 

the fresh market, 2007

Number of 

farms 

Percentage 

share of U.S. 

total

North Carolina 1,166 7%

Pennsylvania 958 6%

New York 876 6%

Kentucky 783 5%

Ohio 751 5%

Michigan 600 4%

U.S. Total 15,654

Source: 2007 USDA Census of Agriculture,

http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/usv1.pdf

 

This proposed rule is unlikely to have a significant economic impact on small or large 

U.S fresh bean producers. While most U.S fresh snap bean farmers’ annual receipts are well 

below the small-entity standard, the quantity of P. vulgaris expected to be imported from Jordan 

would be equivalent to less than one-tenth of one percent of U.S fresh snap bean production. 

The APHIS Administrator has determined that this action will not have a significant economic 

impact on a substantial number of small entities.