APHIS Posts Webpage on New Tomato and Pepper Import Certification Requirements

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has created a webpage with information on new requirements for importation of tomatoes and peppers to prevent the introduction of tomato brown rugose fruit virus. Effective Nov. 22, APHIS is setting new inspection and certification requirements for tomatoes and Capsicum peppers from Canada, Mexico, Israel, and the Netherlands, as well as certification requirements for tomato propagative materials from all countries.

The new requirements were set in a Federal Order issued Nov. 15. Fresh fruit from Canada, Mexico, Israel, and the Netherlands will have to be inspected prior to exportation and accompanied by either a government-issued phytosanitary certificate or industry-issued inspection certificate. Imports of propagative material, including plants for planting, seeds, grafts, obscured seed and cuttings, will have to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate that says that the materials were inspected or that they come from a country certified free of tomato brown rugose fruit virus.

Resources posted to the APHIS website include a frequently asked questions page and information about requirements for grower- or packer-issued inspection certificates. In conjunction with the APHIS effort, CBP recently announced it will conduct more inspections of imported tomatoes and peppers beginning Nov. 22 (see 1911190055).