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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 245 (Friday, December 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 104076-104077]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-30453]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2023-0040]

Notice of Decision To Authorize the Importation of Rosemary and 
Tarragon From Ethiopia Into the Continental United States

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public of our decision to authorize the 
importation of fresh leaves and stems of rosemary and fresh leaves and 
stems of tarragon from Ethiopia into the continental United States. 
Based on findings of pest risk analyses, which we made available to the 
public for review and comment through a previous notice, we have 
determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary 
measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or 
disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of 
rosemary and tarragon from Ethiopia.

DATES: Imports may be authorized beginning December 20, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Gina Stiltner, Senior Regulatory 
Policy

[[Page 104077]]

Specialist, Regulatory Coordination and Compliance, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 
River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (518) 760-2468; 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Under the regulations in ``Subpart L-Fruits and Vegetables'' (7 CFR 
319.56-1 through 319.56-12, referred to below as the regulations), the 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) prohibits or 
restricts the importation of fruits and vegetables into the United 
States from certain parts of the world to prevent plant pests from 
being introduced into or disseminated within the United States.
    Section 319.56-4 contains a performance-based process for approving 
the importation of fruits and vegetables that, based on the findings of 
a pest risk analysis, can be safely imported subject to one or more of 
the five designated phytosanitary measures listed in paragraph (b) of 
that section. Under that process, APHIS proposes to authorize the 
importation of a fruit or vegetable into the United States if, based on 
findings of a pest risk analysis, we determine that the measures can 
mitigate the plant pest risk associated with the importation of that 
fruit or vegetable. APHIS then publishes a notice in the Federal 
Register announcing the availability of the pest risk analysis that 
evaluates the risks associated with the importation of a particular 
fruit or vegetable. Following the close of the 60-day comment period, 
APHIS will issue a subsequent Federal Register notice announcing 
whether or not we will authorize the importation of the fruit or 
vegetable subject to the phytosanitary measures specified in the 
notice.
    In accordance with that process, we published a notice \1\ in the 
Federal Register on April 4, 2024 (89 FR 23537, Docket No. APHIS-2023-
0040) in which we announced the availability, for review and comment, 
of pest risk analyses that evaluated the risks associated with the 
importation of fresh leaves and stems of rosemary (Rosmarinus 
officinalis) and fresh leaves and stems of tarragon (Artemesia 
dracunculus) from Ethiopia into the continental United States. The pest 
risk analyses consisted of risk assessments identifying pests of 
quarantine significance that could follow the pathway of the 
importation of fresh leaves and stems of rosemary and tarragon into the 
continental United States from Ethiopia and risk management documents 
(RMDs) identifying phytosanitary measures to be applied to these 
commodities to mitigate the pest risk.
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    \1\ To view the notice and the supporting documents, go to 
www.regulations.gov. Enter APHIS-2023-0040 in the Search field.
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    We solicited comments on the notice for 60 days, ending on June 3, 
2024. We received no comments by that date.
    Therefore, in accordance with Sec.  319.56-4(c)(3)(iii), we are 
announcing our decision to authorize the importation into the 
continental United States of fresh leaves and stems of rosemary and 
fresh leaves and stems of tarragon from Ethiopia subject to the 
phytosanitary measures identified in the RMDs that accompanied the 
initial notice.
    These conditions will be listed in the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, APHIS Agricultural Commodity Import Requirements (ACIR) 
database (https://acir.aphis.usda.gov/s/).\2\ In addition to these 
specific measures, each shipment must be subject to the general 
requirements listed in Sec.  319.56-3 that are applicable to the 
importation of all fruits and vegetables.
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    \2\ On September 30, 2022, the APHIS Fruits and Vegetables 
Import Requirements (FAVIR) database was replaced by the ACIR 
database.
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Paperwork Reduction Act

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq.), the recordkeeping and burden requirements associated 
with this action are included under the Office of Management and Budget 
control number 0579-0049.

E-Government Act Compliance

    The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is committed to 
compliance with the E-Government Act to promote the use of the internet 
and other information technologies, to provide increased opportunities 
for citizen access to Government information and services, and for 
other purposes. For information pertinent to E-Government Act 
compliance related to this notice, please contact Mr. Joseph Moxey, 
APHIS' Paperwork Reduction Act Coordinator, at (301) 851-2533.
    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1633, 7701-7772, and 7781-7786; 21 U.S.C. 136 
and 136a; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 16th day of December 2024.
Michael Watson,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-30453 Filed 12-19-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
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