Source: http://www.regulations.gov/?_escaped_fragment_=documentDetail;D=APHIS-2010-0127-0040
Timestamp: 2016-02-13 08:56:44
Document Index: 593011527

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 319', '§ 319', 'art 305', '§ 319', '§ 319', 'art 3015', 'arts 301', 'art 301', '§ 301', '§ 301', '§ 319', '§ 319', 'arts 301']

Skip Navigation HomeHelpResourcesContact Us Advanced Search Start of Main Content Movement of Hass Avocados from Areas where Mediterranean Fruit Fly or South American Fruit Fly Exist This Rule document was issued by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)For related information, Open Docket Folder Show agency attachment(s) DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
SummaryWe are amending the regulations to relieve certain restrictions regarding the movement of fresh Hass variety avocados. Specifically, we are amending our domestic regulations to provide for the interstate movement of Hass avocados from Mediterranean fruit fly quarantined areas in the United States with a certificate if the fruit is safeguarded after harvest in accordance with specific measures. We are also amending our foreign quarantine regulations to remove trapping requirements for Mediterranean fruit fly for Hass avocados imported from the State of Michoacán, Mexico, requirements for treatment or origin from an area free of Mediterranean fruit fly for Hass avocados imported from Peru, and requirements for trapping or origin from an area free of South American fruit fly for Hass avocados imported from Peru. These actions are warranted in light of research demonstrating the limited host status of Hass avocados to Mediterranean fruit fly and South American fruit fly. By amending both our domestic and foreign quarantine regulations, we are making them consistent with each other and relieving restrictions for Mexican and Peruvian Hass avocado producers. In addition, this action provides a means for Hass avocados to be moved interstate if the avocados originate from a Mediterranean fruit fly quarantined area in the United States.
Dates Effective Date: July 22, 2011.
For Further Information ContactMr. Tony Román, Import Specialist, Regulations, Permits, and Manuals, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-0627.
The requirements for importing Hass variety avocados into the United States from Michoacán, Mexico, are described in § 319.56-30. Those requirements include pest surveys and pest risk-reducing practices, treatment, packinghouse procedures, inspection, and shipping procedures. Although Mediterranean fruit fly is not known to be present in Michoacán, Mexico, the regulations require that trapping be conducted for Mediterranean fruit fly and that any fruit fly finds are reported to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
The regulations in § 319.56-50 allow the importation into the continental United States of Hass avocados from Peru provided, among other things, that the avocados originate from an area free of Mediterranean fruit fly or that the avocados have been treated for Mediterranean fruit fly in accordance with our phytosanitary treatment regulations in 7 CFR part 305. In addition, the regulations in § 319.56-50 require that the avocados must either originate from an area within Peru that is free of South American fruit fly or an area with low pest prevalence for South American fruit fly and where trapping for South American fruit fly is conducted.
On April 4, 2011, we published in theFederal Register(76 FR 18419-18421, Docket No. APHIS-2010-0127) a proposal (1)
to amend our domestic quarantine regulations to provide for the interstate movement of Hass avocados from Mediterranean fruit fly quarantined areas in the United States with a certificate if the fruit is safeguarded after harvest in accordance with specific measures. We also proposed to amend our foreign quarantine regulations to remove trapping requirements for Mediterranean fruit fly for Hass avocados imported from Michoacán, Mexico, the treatment requirements and origin restrictions for Mediterranean fruit fly for imported Hass avocados from Peru, and the trapping requirements and origin restrictions for South American fruit fly for imported Hass avocados from Peru. These proposed actions were intended to make our domestic and foreign requirements for movement of Hass avocados consistent with each other, relieve restrictions for Mexican and PeruvianHass avocado producers, and provide an alternative means for Hass avocados to be moved interstate if the avocados originate from a Mediterranean fruit fly quarantined area in the United States.
We solicited comments concerning our proposal for 30 days ending May 4, 2011. We reopened and extended the deadline for comments until May 18, 2011, in a document published in theFederal Registeron May 9, 2011 (76 FR 26654-26655). We received 30 comments by that date. They were from private citizens, customs brokers, trade associations, a State department of agriculture, growers, industry groups, chambers of commerce, ports, and foreign governments. The majority of commenters supported the proposed rule. Several commenters submitted comments that were not germane to the rule. The issues raised by the other commenters are discussed below.
Currently, Hass avocados are allowed entry into the United States from the State of Michoacán, Mexico, and Peru under the regulations in §§ 319.56-30 and 319.56-50, respectively. In addition, Hass avocados are allowed entry into the United States from Chile administratively, provided that the avocados originate from an area free of the Mediterranean fruit fly or that the avocados have been treated by either cold treatment or fumigation with methyl bromide. Because we recognize Chile as free of Mediterranean fruit fly and South American fruit fly, we did not mention Chile in our proposed rule; however, we are also relieving movement restrictions on Hass avocados from Chile due to Mediterranean fruit fly, should Mediterranean fruit fly be reintroduced to Chile. In the event that another country where Mediterranean fruit fly and South American fruit fly are present is authorized to export Hass avocados to the United States, we will not impose movement restrictions associated with those fruit flies, except for post-harvest safeguarding as described in the proposed rule.
While Peru's report on the host status of Hass avocado for South American fruit fly was not peer-reviewed, their research corroborated current literature, including peer-reviewed research conducted by Martin Aluja et al., (2)
concluding that, under most circumstances, Hass avocados are generally poor hosts for Anastrepha spp. fruit flies. As stated in the commodity import evaluation document published in connection with the proposed rule, APHIS does not consider South American fruit fly to infest Hass avocados in Mexico, but we included it in the pest list for Hass avocados from Peru due to a lack of host records and data. Peru subsequently conducted a study on host status and came to the conclusion that Hass avocados in Peru are not hosts to South American fruit fly. As stated in our commodity import evaluation document, the main risk of fruit fly infestation is from avocado fruit outside of the normal population, i.e., fruit that is left to become overripe on the tree, injured or damaged fruit, fruit picked up from the ground, picked fruit left in the field for days, and fruit that is the wrong cultivar. Therefore, we have determined that Hass avocados are conditional nonhosts for Mediterranean fruit fly and South American fruit fly. We have encouraged Peru to submit the data they submitted to us regarding the host status of Hass avocado to South American fruit fly for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
We do not consider such a bond requirement to be practical, largelybecause no country in the world requires the indemnification of agricultural products offered for importation; if the United States were to set a precedent and require such indemnification, it would be only a matter of time before our domestic agricultural producers would be required to put up similar bonds for their exports. Any grower or farmer has little control over his or her produce once it has left the grove or farm, let alone once it has been exported to another nation. Finally, requiring such indemnification would run counter to our obligations under current international trade agreements and would certainly be subject to challenge by our trading partners. For these reasons, the use of such bonds is considered impractical. In addition, as our import requirements are sufficient to mitigate the risk of pest introduction via the importation of Hass avocados, we do not believe that such a requirement would be necessary in any case.
Therefore, for the reasons given in the proposed rule and in this document, we are adopting the proposed rule as a final rule, without change.Effective DateThis is a substantive rule that relieves restrictions and, pursuant to the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553, may be made effective less than 30 days after publication in theFederal Register. Immediate implementation of this rule is necessary to provide relief to those persons who are adversely affected by restrictions we no longer find warranted. The shipping season for Hass avocados from Mexico, Peru, and Chile is in progress. Making this rule effective immediately will allow interested producers and others in the marketing chain to benefit during this year's shipping season. Therefore, the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has determined that this rule should be effective upon publication in theFederal Register.Executive Order 12866 and Regulatory Flexibility ActThis final rule has been determined to be not significant for the purposes of Executive Order 12866 and, therefore, has not been reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget.
The countries affected by the mitigation treatment changes in this rule already export Hass avocados to the United States. It is worth noting that the increase in imports of Hass avocados has occurred over the last 10 years while U.S. domestic avocado production quantities and values have remained relatively stable. It would appear that the domestic market for avocados continues to expand to absorb both increasing imports and existing domestic production rather than new avocado imports displacing either domestic production or existing imports. It therefore does not appear that the current increasing level of imports has had a significant impact on a substantial number of small avocado producers or importers.Executive Order 12372This program/activity is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance under No. 10.025 and is subject to Executive Order 12372, which requires intergovernmental consultation with State and local officials. (See 7 CFR part 3015, subpart V.)Executive Order 12988This final rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12988, Civil Justice Reform. This rule: (1) Preempts all State and local laws and regulations that are inconsistent with this rule; (2) has no retroactive effect; and (3) does not require administrative proceedings before parties may file suit in court challenging this rule.Paperwork Reduction ActThis final rule contains no new information collection or recordkeeping requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Accordingly, we are amending 7 CFR parts 301 and 319 as follows:Regulatory TextPart 301 Domestic Quarantine Notices
§ 301.32-4 [Amended].
2. In § 301.32-4, paragraph (d) introductory text is amended by removing the word “Mexican” and adding the words “Mediterranean, Mexican,” in its place.
Authority:7 U.S.C. 450, 7701 7772, and 7781 7786; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.
§ 319.56-30 [Amended].
§ 319.56-50 Hass avocados from Peru.
(g) NPPO of Peru inspection. Following any post-harvest processing, inspectors from the NPPO of Peru must inspect a biometric sample of fruit from each place of production at a rate to be determined by APHIS. The inspectors must visually inspect for the quarantine pests listed in the introductory text of this section and must cut fruit to inspect for S. catenifer. If any quarantine pests are detected in this inspection, the place of production where the infested avocados were grown will immediately be suspended from the export program until an investigation has beenconducted by APHIS and the NPPO of Peru and appropriate mitigations have been implemented.
[FR Doc. 2011-18707 Filed 7-20-11; 4:15 pm]BILLING CODE 3410-34-PFootnotes
To view the proposed rule, the commodity import evaluation document, and the comments we received, go to http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2010-0127. (2)
Aluja, M., F. Diaz-Fleischer and J. Arredondo. 2004. Nonhost Status of Commercial Persea americana‘Hass’ to Anastrepha ludens, Anastrepha obliqua, Anastrepha serpentina, and Anastrepha striata (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Mexico. J. Econ. Entomol. 97(2): 293-309.
Attachments View All (0) View document: No documents available. Attachments View All (0) Comment Now! Comment Period Closed ID: APHIS-2010-0127-0040 Tracking Number: View original printed format: Document Information Date Posted: Jul 22, 2011RIN: 0579-AD34CFR: 7 CFR Parts 301 and 319Federal Register Number: 2011-18707 Show More Details Submitter Information Comments0 Comments Received* Docket Information This document is contained in APHIS-2010-0127 Related Dockets: NoneRelated RINs: NoneRelated Documents: Movement of Hass Avocados From Areas Where Mediterranean...Movement of Hass Avocados from Areas where Mediterranean... Related Comments: View all * This count refers to the total comment/submissions received on this document, as of 11:59 PM yesterday. Note: Agencies review all submissions, however some agencies may choose to redact, or withhold, certain submissions (or portions thereof) such as those containing private or proprietary information, inappropriate language, or duplicate/near duplicate examples of a mass-mail campaign. This can result in discrepancies between this count and those displayed when conducting searches on the Public Submission document type. For specific information about an agency’s public submission policy, refer to its website or the Federal Register document. Document text and images courtesy of the Federal Register Home Search Advanced Search Browse By Category Learn About Us eRulemaking Program Media Toolkit Agencies Awards & Recognition Enhancements & Fixes Resources Site Data Regulatory Agenda Agency Reports Required by Statute API Overview Developers Help How to use Regulations.gov FAQs Glossary Connect With Contact Us Privacy and Security Notice User Notice Accessibility Statement Partner Sites We the People Federal Register Reginfo Congress.gov USA.gov E-Gov Opengov Participate Today!