Chemical Regulatory Updates – Latest Global Changes

Final rule: Importation of Fresh Apricots from Continental Spain (Docket No. APHIS-2011-0132)

Distribution date: 13 January 2014

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is amending the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the importation into the United States of fresh apricots from continental Spain (excluding the Balearic Islands and Canary Islands). As a condition of entry, fresh apricots from continental Spain will have to be produced in accordance with a systems approach that includes registration of production locations and packinghouses, pest monitoring, sanitary practices, chemical and biological controls, and phytosanitary treatment. The fruit will have to be imported in commercial consignments, with each consignment identified throughout its movement from place of production to port of entry in the United States. Consignments will have to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the national plant protection organization of Spain certifying that the fruit is free from all quarantine pests and has been produced in accordance with the systems approach. This action will allow for the importation of fresh apricots from continental Spain while continuing to protect against the introduction of plant pests into the United States. Federal Register, Vol. 78, No. 251, Tuesday, 31 December 2013, pages 79573-79579. This notice is available in English at: http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0132-0011. On 30 January 2013, we published in the Federal Register (78 FR 6227-6232, Docket No. APHIS-2011-0132) a proposal (1) to amend the regulations concerning the importation of fruits and vegetables to allow the importation of fresh apricots (Prunus armeniaca L.) (2) from continental Spain (excluding the Balearic Islands and Canary Islands) into the United States. We proposed to allow the importation of fresh apricots from continental Spain only if they were produced in accordance with a systems approach jointly agreed upon in a bilateral workplan between the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the national plant protection organization (NPPO) of Spain. The systems approach addresses four quarantine pests that the pest risk analysis (PRA) determined could follow the pathway of consignments of fresh apricots imported from continental Spain into the United States. We solicited comments concerning our proposal for 60 days ending 1 April 2013. We reopened and extended the deadline for comments until 13 June 2013, in a document published in the Federal Register on 29 May 2013 (78 FR 32184, Docket No. APHIS-2011-0132). We received four comments by that date.

Products Covered:

Regulation Type: Addendum to Regular Notification

Adoption/publication/entry into force of reg.

Revision of the Standards and Specifications for Foods and Food Additives under the Food Sanitation Law (revision of agricultural chemical residue standards)

Distribution date: 13 January 2014 | Final date for Comment: 14 March 2014

Proposed maximum residue limits (MRLs) for the following agricultural chemicals: Pesticide: Molinate.

Products Covered: - Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates (HS Codes: 03.02, 03.03, 03.04, 03.06 and 03.07) - Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers (HS Codes: 07.01, 07.02, 07.03, 07.04, 07.05, 07.06, 07.07, 07.08, 07.09, 07.10, 07.13 and 07.14) - Edible fruits and nuts, peel of citrus/melons (HS Codes: 08.01, 08.02, 08.03, 08.04, 08.05, 08.06, 08.07, 08.08, 08.09, 08.10, 08.11 and 08.14) - Coffee, tea, mate and spices (HS Codes: 09.01, 09.02, 09.03, 09.04, 09.05, 09.06, 09.07, 09.08, 09.09 and 09.10) - Cereals (HS Codes: 10.01, 10.02, 10.03, 10.04, 10.05, 10.06, 10.07 and 10.08) - Oleaginous fruits, miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruits (HS Codes: 12.01, 12.02, 12.04, 12.05,12.06, 12.07, 12.10 and 12.12) - Cacao and cacao preparations (HS Code: 18.01)