[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 26, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 65946]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-20873]
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Notices
Federal Register
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This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 185 / Tuesday, September 26, 2023 /
Notices
[[Page 65946]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2022-0024]
Notice of Decision To Authorize the Importation of Fresh Baby
Kiwi Fruit From France 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 baby kiwi fruit from France into the continental
United States. Based on findings of a pest risk analysis, 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 fresh baby kiwi fruit from France.
DATES: Imports may be authorized beginning September 26, 2023.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Marc Phillips, Senior Regulatory
Policy Specialist, PPQ, APHIS, USDA, 4700 River Road Unit 133,
Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851-2114; [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 commodities that, based on the findings of a pest
risk analysis (PRA), can be safely imported subject to one or more of
the 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 PRA, 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 PRA 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 June 22, 2022 (87 FR 37301-37302, Docket No. APHIS-
2022-0024) in which we announced the availability, for review and
comment, of a PRA that evaluated the risks associated with the
importation of fresh baby Kiwi fruit (Actinidia arguta) from France
into the continental United States. The PRA consisted of a risk
assessment identifying pests of quarantine significance that could
follow the pathway of the importation of fresh baby kiwi fruit into the
continental United States from France and a risk management document
(RMD) identifying phytosanitary measures to be applied to that
commodity 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-2022-0024 in the Search field.
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We solicited comments on the notice for 60 days, ending on August
22, 2022. 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 baby kiwi fruit from France subject
to the phytosanitary measures identified in the RMD that accompanied
the initial notice.
These conditions will be listed in the USDA, 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) 851-2483.
Congressional Review Act
Pursuant to the Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. 801 et seq.),
the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs designated this action
as not a major rule, as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
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 21st day of September 2023.
Michael Watson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-20873 Filed 9-25-23; 8:45 am]
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