Importation of Fruits and Vegetables

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 7 CFR Part 319 [Docket No. 03-048-1] AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY: We are proposing to amend the fruits and vegetables regulations to list a number of fruits and vegetables from certain parts of the world as eligible, under specified conditions, for importation into the United States. Many of these fruits and vegetables are already eligible for importation under permit, but are not specifically listed in the regulations. All of the fruits and vegetables, as a condition of entry, would be inspected and subject to treatment at the port of first arrival as may be required by an inspector. In addition, some of the fruits and vegetables would be required to be treated or meet other special conditions. We also propose to recognize areas in several countries as free from certain fruit flies; provide for the importation of untreated citrus from Mexico for processing under certain conditions; add, modify, or remove certain definitions; eliminate or modify existing treatment requirements for specified commodities; and make other miscellaneous changes. These actions would improve the transparency of our regulations while continuing to protect against the introduction of quarantine pests through imported fruits and vegetables. DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before May 31, 2005. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the followi…