Melissa O'Dell (301) 734-5222
Jerry Redding (202) 720-4623
USDA ANNOUCES INSPECTION AND USER FEE REQUIREMENTS FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS IMPORTED FROM CANADA
WASHINGTON , Aug. 28, 2006 --The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service today announced, in an interim rule, that it has removed inspection exemptions for Canadian grown fruits and vegetables imported from Canada . These inspections apply to both commercial shipments and commodities imported by individuals for personal use.
The interim rule also removes the exemption from user fees for all commercial vessels, trucks, railroad cars and aircraft, as well as international passengers entering the United States from Canada .
These inspections and fees are necessary to prevent the introduction of plant pests into the United States via conventional pathways or through bioterrorism. Recent inspections along the U.S.-Canadian border resulted in numerous interceptions of prohibited fruits and vegetables, originating from regions other than Canada . These products pose a high risk of introducing plant pests or animal diseases into the United States .
This interim rule was published in the Aug. 25 Federal Register and will become effective Nov. 24.
Consideration will be given to comments received on or before Nov. 24. Send an original and three copies of postal or commercial delivery comments to Docket No. APHIS-2006-0096, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, Md. 20737-1238. If you wish to submit a comment using the Internet, go to the Federal eRulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov and, in the “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-2006-0096 to submit or view public comments and to view supporting and related material available electronically.
Comments received are posted on the Regulations.gov Web site and may also be viewed at USDA, Room 1141, South Building , 14th St. and Independence Ave., S.W., Washington , D.C. , between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. , Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. To facilitate entry into the comment reading room, please call (202) 690-2817.
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