USDA to Issue All Plant and Plant Product Transit Permits in Riverdale, Md.

Plant Protection and Quarantine

September 16, 2003

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will begin issuing agricultural transit permits from its headquarters in Riverdale, Md., on October 1, 2003. Current valid transit permits issued by APHIS’ Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) at the ports of entry will be accepted only through September 30, 2003, after which they will expire.

Transit Permits

Transit permits are required for the arrival, unloading, landing, or other movement of plants, plant products and soil,into, or through, the United States. Often, these products are only allowed to move through, but not remain in, the United States. APHIS carefully monitors the movement of these products during the period of time they are in the United States to ensure they are re–exported. Transit permits outline any required safeguarding or mitigation measures for the shipment based on risk analysis. APHIS issues these permits in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations Title 7, CFR Part 352.
Transit permits were previously issued by APHIS’ PPQ officers in ports of entry across the country. However, to better track transit shipments and assess plant pest and disease risks associated with them, APHIS will now issue transit permits from a single location.

New Transit Permit Request

To request a new transit permit, mail or fax your application (PPQ Form 586, Application for Permit to Transit Plants and/or Plant Products into or through the United States) to:

USDA, APHIS, PPQ
Permit Services
4700 River Road, Unit 136
Riverdale, Md. 20737
Toll Free Number: 1–877–770–5990
Fax: 301–734–0572

Additional Information

Additional information concerning transit permits and other PPQ permits, including permits for plant pests, is available on the APHIS Web site at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/permits/. The application, PPQ Form 586, can be downloaded from that site.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326–W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250–9410 or call (202) 720–5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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