United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Plant Protection and Quarantine

Importation of Fresh Avocado, Persea americana 

Miller, from Continental Spain into the United States, 

Including Hawaii and U.S. Territories

Risk Management Document

December 12, 2011

Plant Health Programs (PHP)

Regulations, Permits and Manuals (RPM)

Contact Person: Alex Belano
Risk Management Document: Importation of Avocado from Spain

December 12, 2011 2

1. Introduction

This document describes the risk management measures for the importation of fresh fruits 

of avocado, Persea americana Miller, from continental Spain into the entire United 

States, including Hawaii and U.S. territories. The government of Spain indicated that the 

quantity of avocados exported would be less than 10 containers per year (USDA, 2010). 

United States Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR 319.56) authorize importation of fruits 

and vegetables from foreign countries into the United States. Currently, avocados from 

Spain are prohibited by these regulations.

The United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service (USDA, APHIS) conducted a pest risk assessment (PRA) in response a request 

from the Subdirection General de Sanidad Vegetal, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and 

Food, Spain (USDA, 2010b). One pest of quarantine significance was identified that 

could be introduced into the entire United States, including territories. This document 

evaluates the appropriate pest risk management measures for this quarantine pest.

2. Quarantine Pest of Concern for fresh Avocados from Spain

The pathway-initiated pest risk assessment , “Importation of Fresh Avocado, Persea 

americana Miller, from Continental Spain into the United States, including Hawaii and 

U.S. Territories”, represents a baseline risk associated with the unmitigated importation 

of fresh avocados from Spain (USDA, 2010b).

Ceratitis capitata Weidemann (Diptera: Tephritidae) was the only quarantine insect pest 

found that could be introduced into the entire United States, including territories, via this 

pathway. The pest risk potential of C. capitata is rated as High.

3. Risk Management Measures

APHIS proposes that all varieties of avocado fruit (‘Hass’ and non-‘Hass’) from Spain 

may be imported into the United States only under the following conditions:

1. Avocados from Spain must be imported as commercial consignments only.

2. All avocado orchards exporting to the United States must be located in continental

Spain (excludes Canary Islands and Balearic Islands) and be registered with the 

NPPO of the country.

3. The NPPO is responsible for ensuring that growers are aware of the quarantine 

pest and that registered orchards use field sanitation and pest control measures. 

Details of measures will be included in a written agreement (e.g., operational 

work plan (OWP)) approved by the NPPO and APHIS.
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December 12, 2011 3

4. Avocado fruit must be harvested from the tree and not collected from the ground.

5. All avocados must be packed in pest exclusionary packing houses that are 

registered with the NPPO. Packing houses must use boxes with labels that 

identify the fruits’ orchard of origin and include trace-back information.

6. The avocados must be safeguarded after harvest, during packing, and until export 

and arrival in the United States to prevent reinfestation by the fruit fly.

7. Packing houses should not pack avocados for other countries while packing for 

the United States. 

Non-‘Hass’ Avocados:

1. All avocados other than Hass variety from registered orchards will undergo cold 

treatment as per the treatment schedule T107-a prior to import to the United 

States.

2. Each consignment of avocados must be accompanied by a Phytosanitary

Certificate (PC) issued by the NPPO and bearing the additional declaration: 

“These avocados were grown in an approved production site, and the consignment 

has been inspected, found free of Ceratitis capitata and subjected to treatment T107-a”.

‘Hass’ Avocados:

1. Each consignment of Hass variety avocados must be accompanied by a

Phytosanitary Certificate (PC) issued by the NPPO and bearing the additional 

declaration (AD): “These HASS avocados were grown in an approved production 

site, and the consignment has been inspected and found free of Ceratitis 

capitata”.

4. Rationale for Risk Management Measures

The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, has a wide geographic distribution and is 

found in southern Europe, west Asia, throughout Africa and South and Central America 

(CABI, 2002), and in northern Australia (Hassan, 1977). The species is of quarantine 

significance throughout the world, especially for Japan and the United States.

Its presence, even as temporary adventive populations, can lead to severe additional 

constraints for export of fruits to uninfested areas in other parts of the world. Avocados are 

considered as one of the hosts for the Mediterranean fruit fly. However, after examining

recent research conducted on Hass variety of avocado and Mediterranean fruit fly, APHIS 

has concluded that ‘Hass’ avocados are not hosts to Mediterranean fruit fly (USDA, 2010a).
Risk Management Document: Importation of Avocado from Spain

December 12, 2011 4

Cold treatment alone, or in combination with methyl bromide fumigation, is an accepted 

APHIS treatment for Ceratitis capitata in avocados (CABI, 2007). The cold treatment 

T-107-a, that is currently required by USDA for all avocados that are not of the Hass 

variety will ensure the kill of all C. capitata larvae.

Summary

Currently, avocados from Spain are not enterable into the United States. The requirement 

for each consignment to undergo specific mitigation measures diminishes the likelihood 

of quarantine pests following the pathway. Only one quarantine pest, the Mediterranean 

fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, is listed in the PRA, and it is identified as a high-risk pest. 

This pest is mitigated by ensuring that all avocado consignments of non-Hass varieties

undergo the cold treatment schedule T 107-a, prior to arrival in the United States. The 

Hass variety of avocado is not considered to be a host to the Mediterranean fruit fly.

The requirements of a phytosanitary certificate from the NPPO of Spain for both Hass 

and non-Hass varieties of avocado will document that the importation is a product of 

Spain. A phytosanitary certificate also provides phytosanitary security by requiring the 

NPPO to conduct inspections for pests.

All port of entry requirements described in this document are necessary for proper and 

effective enforcement and will be codified in the Code of Federal Regulations 

(Appendix). All other operational requirements will be enforced via a written agreement, 

such as an operational work plan, between APHIS and the NPPO of the exporting 

country.

Author

Devaiah A. Muruvanda, Ph.D.

Senior Risk Manager-Entomology

USDA, APHIS, PPQ

Regulations, Permits & Manuals
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December 12, 2011 5

6. References

CABI. 2002. Crop Protection Compendium, 2002 ed. Wallingford, U.K.: CAB 

International [CD-ROM].

CABI, 2007. Crop Protection Compendium. CAB International. Wallingford, United 

Kingdom. [CD-ROM].

Hassan, E. 1977. Major Insect and Mite Pest [sic] of Australian Crops. Gatton, Qld.: Ento 

Press.

USDA. 2010a. Host status of ‘Hass’ avocados to Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis 

capitata (Wiedemann) and the South American fruit fly, Anastrepha fraterculus

(Wiedamann). Commodity Import Evaluation Document. December 2010. United States 

Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection 

and Quarantine, Regulations, Permits and Manuals, Regulatory Coordination and 

Compliance, Riverdale, MD. 8pp.

USDA. 2010b. Importation of Fresh Avocado, Persea americana Miller, from 

Continental Spain into the United States, Including Hawaii and U.S. Territories – A 

Pathway-Initiated Risk Assessment. June 2010. United States Department of Agriculture, 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Center for 

Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Laboratory. 

Raleigh, NC. 25pp.