Revision of Fruits and Vegetables Import Regulations, 43385 [E6-12336]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 147 (Tuesday, August 1, 2006)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 43385]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-12336]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

7 CFR Parts 305, 319, and 352

[Docket No. APHIS-2005-0106]
RIN 0579-AB80


Revision of Fruits and Vegetables Import Regulations

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: We are reopening the comment period for our proposed rule to 
revise and reorganize the regulations pertaining to the importation of 
fruits and vegetables to consolidate requirements of general 
applicability and eliminate redundant requirements, update terms and 
remove outdated requirements and references, update the regulations 
that apply to importations into territories under U.S. administration, 
and make various editorial and nonsubstantive changes to regulations to 
make them easier to use. We also proposed to make substantive changes 
to the regulations, including: Establishing criteria within the 
regulations that, if met, would allow us to approve certain new fruits 
and vegetables for importation into the United States and to 
acknowledge pest-free areas in foreign countries more effectively and 
expeditiously; doing away with the practice of listing specific 
commodities that may be imported subject to certain types of 
phytosanitary measures; and providing for the issuance of special use 
permits for fruits and vegetables. The proposed changes are intended to 
simplify and expedite our processes for approving certain new imports 
and pest-free areas while continuing to allow for public participation 
in the processes. This action will allow interested persons additional 
time to prepare and submit comments.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on Docket No. 
APHIS-2005-0106 on or before August 25, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://
www.regulations.gov and, in the lower ``Search Regulations and Federal 
Actions'' box, select ``Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service'' 
from the agency drop-down menu, then click on ``Submit.'' In the Docket 
ID column, select APHIS-2005-0106 to submit or view public comments and 
to view supporting and related materials available electronically. 
Information on using Regulations.gov, including instructions for 
accessing documents, submitting comments, and viewing the docket after 
the close of the comment period, is available through the site's ``User 
Tips'' link.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies 
of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. APHIS-
2005-0106, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-
03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state 
that your comment refers to Docket No. APHIS-2005-0106.
    Reading Room: You may read any comments that we receive on this 
docket in our reading room. The reading room 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) 690-2817 before coming.
    Other Information: Additional information about APHIS and its 
programs is available on the Internet at https://www.aphis.usda.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Regarding the proposed commodity 
import request evaluation process, contact Mr. Matthew Rhoads, 
Planning, Analysis, and Regulatory Coordination, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River 
Road Unit 141, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734-8790.
    Regarding import conditions for particular commodities, contact Ms. 
Donna L. West, Senior Import Specialist, Commodity Import Analysis and 
Operations, PPQ-PRI, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 
20737; (301) 734-8758.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 27, 2006, we published in the 
Federal Register (71 FR 25010-25057, Docket No. APHIS-2005-0106) a 
proposal to revise and reorganize the regulations pertaining to the 
importation of fruits and vegetables to consolidate requirements of 
general applicability and eliminate redundant requirements, update 
terms and remove outdated requirements and references, update the 
regulations that apply to importations into territories under U.S. 
administration, and make various editorial and nonsubstantive changes 
to regulations to make them easier to use. We also proposed to make 
substantive changes to the regulations, including: (1) Establishing 
criteria within the regulations that, if met, would allow us to approve 
certain new fruits and vegetables for importation into the United 
States and to acknowledge pest-free areas in foreign countries more 
effectively and expeditiously; (2) doing away with the practice of 
listing specific commodities that may be imported subject to certain 
types of phytosanitary measures; and (3) providing for the issuance of 
special use permits for fruits and vegetables. The proposed changes are 
intended to simplify and expedite our processes for approving certain 
new imports and pest-free areas while continuing to allow for public 
participation in the processes.
    Comments on the proposed rule were required to be received on or 
before July 26, 2006. We are reopening the comment period for Docket 
No. APHIS-2005-0106 until August 25, 2006, an additional 30 days from 
the original close of the comment period. This action will allow 
interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments. We 
will also consider all comments received between July 27, 2006 (the day 
after the close of the original comment period) and the date of this 
notice.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 26th day of July 2006.
W. Ron DeHaven,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E6-12336 Filed 7-31-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P