[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 1, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18185-18186]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-06799]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2018-0091]


Notice of Proposed Revision to Import Requirements for the 
Importation of Fresh Citrus From South Africa Into the United States

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have prepared a commodity 
import evaluation document (CIED) relative to the importation into the 
United States of citrus (grapefruit, lemon, mandarin orange, sweet 
orange, tangelo, and Satsuma mandarin) fruit from South Africa. Based 
on the findings of the CIED, we are proposing to remove restrictions on 
the ports of entry into which citrus from South Africa may be imported 
into the United States. We are making the CIED available to the public 
for review and comment.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before June 
1, 2020.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2018-0091.

[[Page 18186]]

     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2018-0091, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, 
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
    Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may 
be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2018-
0091 or in our reading Room, which is located in room 1141 of the USDA 
South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC. 
Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, 
please call (202) 799-7039 before coming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Tony Roman, Senior Regulatory 
Policy Specialist, RCC, IRM, PHP, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 851-2242.

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 of the regulations provides the requirements for 
authorizing the importation of fruits and vegetables into the United 
States, as well as revising existing requirements for the importation 
of fruits and vegetables. Paragraph (c) of that section provides that 
the name and origin of all fruits and vegetables authorized importation 
into the United States, as well as the requirements for their 
importation, are listed on the internet in APHIS' Fruits and Vegetables 
Import Requirements database, or FAVIR (https://epermits.aphis.usda.gov/manual). It also provides that, if the 
Administrator of APHIS determines that any of the phytosanitary 
measures required for the importation of a particular fruit or 
vegetable are no longer necessary to reasonably mitigate the plant pest 
risk posed by the fruit or vegetable, APHIS will publish a notice in 
the Federal Register making its pest risk documentation and 
determination available for public comment.
    Currently, several citrus species (grapefruit, lemon, mandarin 
orange, sweet orange, tangelo, and Satsuma mandarin) from South Africa 
are listed in FAVIR as fruits authorized importation into the United 
States, subject to the same phytosanitary measures.
    One of these phytosanitary measures requires the citrus to be cold 
treated according to treatment schedule T107-e. This treatment schedule 
is listed in the Plant Protection and Quarantine Treatment Manual as an 
effective mitigation for Thaumatotibia leucotreta (false codling 
moth).\1\ False codling moth is known to exist in South Africa and 
could follow the pathway on fresh citrus fruit imported into the United 
States.
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    \1\ To view the manual, go to https://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/downloads/treatment.pdf.
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    We implemented the current treatment schedule for false codling 
moth on South African citrus in 2013 on a provisional basis, provided 
that the citrus was only imported into the ports of Newark, NJ, 
Philadelphia, PA, and Wilmington, DE. We included these port 
restrictions because T107-e was requested by the national plant 
protection organization (NPPO) of South Africa as a less stringent 
alternative to the treatment schedule at the time, T107-k, and because 
the ports in question had cold treatment facilities if the revised 
treatment schedule proved to be ineffective. In 2014, we also added 
Houston, TX, as an authorized port. These port restrictions are also 
currently found in FAVIR.
    Over the following 2 years, we conducted enhanced inspections for 
false codling moth on citrus from South Africa at the four authorized 
ports. During that time, more than 2,000 shipments of citrus from South 
Africa were imported from South Africa into the United States, with no 
detections of live false codling moth.
    Based on these results, the NPPO of South Africa asked that we 
remove the port restrictions and authorize the importation of citrus 
from South Africa into all ports of entry within the United States. In 
response to this request, we have prepared a commodity import 
evaluation document (CIED) that recommends removing the port 
restrictions.
    Therefore, in accordance with Sec.  319.56-4(c)(3), we are 
announcing the availability of our CIED for public review and comment. 
This document, as well as a description of the economic considerations 
associated with the removal of the port restrictions, may be viewed on 
the Regulations.gov website or in our reading room (see ADDRESSES above 
for a link to Regulations.gov and information on the location and hours 
of the Reading Room). You may request paper copies of these documents 
by calling or writing to the person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT. Please refer to the subject of the analysis you 
wish to review when requesting copies.
    After reviewing any comments we receive, we will announce our 
decision regarding whether to revise the requirements for the 
importation of citrus from South Africa in a subsequent notice. If the 
overall conclusions of our analysis and the Administrator's 
determination of risk remain unchanged following our consideration of 
the comments, then we will revise the requirements for the importation 
of citrus from South Africa as described in this notice.

    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 27th day of March 2020.
Mark Davidson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-06799 Filed 3-31-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P