Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service November 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are advising the public that we have prepared a commodity import evaluation document (CIED) relative to deregulating light brown apple moth (LBAM) requirements for fruit imported from New Zealand into the United States. Currently, fruit imported from New Zealand into the United States must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating that the fruit is free of LBAM. Based on the findings of the CIED, we are proposing to remove the requirement for the additional declaration. Accordingly, we propose to revise the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Agricultural Commodity Import Requirements database regarding LBAM requirements for fruit imported from New Zealand into the United States. These proposed changes would harmonize our domestic and import requirements. We are making the CIED available to the public for review and comment.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is correcting a notice that published in the Federal Register on November 8, 2024. The notice announced proposed adjusted user fee rates for the costs of providing certain goods and services, including veterinary diagnostic goods and services and veterinary services for imports and exports of live animals and animal products. The notice erroneously omitted a proposed adjusted fee in one of the tables provided. This document updates that table.

We are advising the public of our decision to authorize the importation of fresh Hass avocado (Persea americana var. Hass) fruit from Guatemala into the United States. Based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, which we made available to the public for review and comment, 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 Hass avocado fruit from Guatemala.

We are proposing to authorize the importation of Phalaenopsis spp. orchid plants from Germany and the Netherlands in approved growing media into the United States. As a condition of entry, Phalaenopsis spp. orchid plants in approved growing media from Germany and the Netherlands would have to meet all relevant requirements included in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plants for Planting Manual and detailed in a bilateral workplan. This proposed action would allow for the importation of Phalaenopsis spp. orchid plants for planting from Germany and the Netherlands in approved growing media while providing protection against the introduction of plant pests.