APHIS Adds New Requirements for fresh blueberry fruit (Vaccinium spp.) imported from Chile into the United States.

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FOR INFORMATION

DA-2013-56

December 24, 2013                                      

Subject: APHIS Adds New Requirements for fresh blueberry fruit (Vaccinium spp.) imported from Chile into the United States.

To: State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is implementing new entry requirements for the importation of fresh blueberry fruit (Vaccinium spp.) from Chile into the United States. APHIS is taking this action in response to multiple detections of European Grapevine Moth (EGVM), Lobesia botrana, in Chilean blueberry orchards.

To prevent the introduction of EGVM into the United States, APHIS is requiring blueberry shipments from regions VI, VII, and VIII destined to the United States be fumigated with methyl bromide at the point of origin under Title 7 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 305. In addition, shipments will be subject to an increased inspection rate at the port of export and entry.

Until this recent detection, fresh blueberries were not considered to be a preferred host of EGVM and have been allowed into the United States from Chile since 1983. Because of the substantial growth of the EGVM population in Chile during recent seasons and its unexpected detection on fresh blueberry, APHIS has determined that these additional requirements are necessary to prevent the entry of EGVM into the United States on blueberry shipments.

For additional information regarding this Federal Order, please contact Tony Román, Regulatory Policy Specialist at (301) 851-2242, or Juan.A.Roman@aphis.usda.gov

/s/

John Payne

Acting Deputy Administrator

Plant Protection and Quarantine

Attachment: Federal Order