Notice of Proposed Revision To Import Requirements for the Importation of Fresh Citrus Fruit From Australia Into the United States, 81869-81871 [2020-27803]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 243 (Thursday, December 17, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81869-81871]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-27803]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2018-0078]


Notice of Proposed Revision To Import Requirements for the 
Importation of Fresh Citrus Fruit From Australia Into the United States

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest risk 
analysis and treatment evaluation document relative to the importation 
into the United States of citrus fruit from additional areas of 
production in Australia. Based on the findings of these documents, we 
are proposing to authorize the importation of citrus fruit from 
additional areas of production in Australia, and revise the conditions 
under which citrus fruit from authorized areas of production in 
Australia may be imported into the United States. We are making the 
pest risk analysis and treatment evaluation document available to the 
public for review and comment.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
February 16, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:

[[Page 81870]]

     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2018-0078.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2018-0078, 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 https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2018-
0078 or in our reading room, which is located in Room 1620 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 Rom[aacute]n, Senior 
Regulatory Policy Specialist, Regulatory Coordination and Compliance, 
PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 
851-2242.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 new 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 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 analysis and determination available for 
public comment.
    Citrus fruit from Australia is currently listed in FAVIR as a fruit 
authorized importation into the United States, subject to the following 
phytosanitary measures:
     The citrus fruit must be produced in Riverina region of 
New South Wales District, Riverland region of South Australia, or 
Sunraysia region in Northwest Victoria District.
     The citrus fruit must either originate from an area within 
these approved production areas that is free of the fruit flies 
Bactrocera tryoni (Queensland fruit fly) and Ceratitis capitata 
(Medfly), or be treated with cold treatment in accordance with 
treatment schedule T107-d or T107-d-2 (all citrus other than lemons) or 
T107-d-3 (lemons), as well as the relevant requirements of 7 CFR part 
305, which contains APHIS' phytosanitary treatment regulations.
     The citrus fruit must be accompanied by a phytosanitary 
certificate that attests to the production in a pest-free area of 
production or that indicates that cold treatment was applied to the 
commodity during transit to the United States, and that contains an 
additional declaration stating that the fruit in the consignment was 
subject to phytosanitary measures to ensure the consignment is free of 
Epiphyas postvittana (light brown apple moth).
     The citrus fruit is subject to inspection at the port of 
entry into the United States.
     Only commercial consignments of Australian citrus fruit 
may be imported into the United States.
     The citrus fruit must be imported under permit.
    APHIS received a request from the national plant protection 
organization (NPPO) of Australia to authorize the importation of citrus 
from three additional areas of Australia: The inland region of 
Queensland, the regions that compose Western Australia, and the shires 
of Bourke and Narromine within New South Wales District. The NPPO also 
asked us to reevaluate whether light brown apple moth could follow the 
pathway of citrus fruit from Australia into the United States.
    In response to Australia's request, we have prepared a pest risk 
assessment (PRA) to evaluate the pests of quarantine significance that 
could follow the pathway of importation of fresh citrus from these 
areas of Australia into the United States. The PRA also evaluates 
whether light brown apple moth, which exists in the areas, is likely to 
follow the pathway of citrus fruit from the areas into the United 
States. Based on the PRA, a commodity import evaluation document (CIED) 
was prepared to identify phytosanitary measures that could be applied 
to the importation of citrus fruit from these additional areas of 
Australia to mitigate the pest risk.
    We have concluded that citrus can safely be imported from these 
additional areas of Australia into the United States, using the 
following phytosanitary measures:
     The citrus must either originate from an area within these 
approved production areas that is free of the fruit flies Queensland 
fruit fly, Medfly, and/or Bactrocera neohumeralis (Lesser Queensland 
fruit fly), or be treated with cold treatment for the relevant fruit 
flies. If the area has Medfly but is free of Queensland fruit fly and 
Lesser Queensland fruit fly, treatment schedule T107-a may be used. If 
the area has Queensland fruit fly or Lesser Queensland fruit fly, 
treatment schedules T107-d-2 or T107-d-3 must be used. We have prepared 
a treatment evaluation document (TED) that determines that these two 
schedules are effective for Lesser Queensland fruit fly on Australian 
citrus.
     The citrus must be accompanied by a phytosanitary 
certificate that attests to the production in a pest-free area of 
production or that indicates that cold treatment was applied to the 
commodity during transit to the United States. We are not requiring an 
additional declaration for light brown apple moth because the PRA 
considers this pest unlikely to follow the pathway on citrus fruit from 
these areas. We are also proposing to remove the additional declaration 
requirement for light brown apple moth for the importation of citrus 
fruit from other approved areas of Australia.
     The citrus is subject to inspection at the port of entry 
into the United States.
     Only commercial consignments of Australian citrus may be 
imported into the United States.
     An operational work plan that details the requirements 
under which citrus will be safely imported is in place.
     The citrus fruit must be imported under permit.
    Therefore, in accordance with Sec.  319.56-4(c)(3), we are 
announcing the availability of our PRA and CIED for public review and 
comment. Those documents, as well as a description of the economic 
considerations associated with the importation of fresh citrus fruit 
from these additional areas of Australia and the TED, 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

[[Page 81871]]

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 fruit from Australia 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 fruit from Australia in accordance with 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 14th day of December 2020.
Michael Watson,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-27803 Filed 12-16-20; 8:45 am]
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