International Standards Setting Activities |
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Plant and Plant Products Inspection
Agriculture quarantine inspection of plant and plant products are conducted by PPQ employees and include predeparture operations, preclearance activities and supervising treatments. Predeparture operations are conducted for plant and plant products moving interstate from Hawaii and Puerto Rico into the continental US. Predeparture operations include the inspection of passengers, baggage, conveyance and cargo to prevent the movement of pests from Hawaii and Puerto Rico into the continental US. Inspections are conducted at origin.
Preclearance inspections are conducted offshore, by APHIS personnel (IS and PPQ). Preclearance programs minimize the pest risk at origin and expedite commodities that have met entry requirements prior to arrival. APHIS personnel conduct inspections of plant products, oversee the packing facilities and conduct field visits as applicable. The APHIS representatives are present through the process.
Quarantine treatments provide an alternative to import plant products and mitigate pests. The wide choices of treatments allow for a variety of produce to be available year round for the US consumer, while maintaining quarantine security. Quarantine treatments include chemical (such as methyl bromide), temperature (hot water immersion, cold treatment, etc) and irradiation.
Craft Industries |
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View the above link for information about regulated craft industries.
Quarantine Treatments |
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Quarantine treatments allow importation of products while mitigating the pest risk. Importation of agricultural products from other countries gives the American consumer an opportunity to have a wider choice of fruits and vegetables. USDA APHIS assesses the risk of importations based on commodity and pest status. Quarantine treatments are specific to the pest of concern and commodity.
USDA APHIS determines type(s) of treatments when the pest is prevalent in the country, difficult to inspect for and/or of quarantine significance. Treatments can be chemical or non-chemical. There are various approved chemical treatments: fumigants, dips and spray. The fumigants include methyl bromide, phosphine and sulfuryl fluoride. Non chemical treatments include cold treatment, hot water immersion, vapor heat treatment, steam sterilization and irradiation. Irradiation treatments have been developed recently.
Procedures and schedules are described in the Treatment Manual.
Code of Federal Regulations for Phytosanitary Treatments (7CFR Part 305)
Predeparture |
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Passenger baggage, cargo, mail and conveyances moving domestically from Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are inspected to prevent pests from spreading to other areas of the United States. Quarantine Policy, Analysis & Support provides policy and guidance to the predeparture program.
Preclearance Activities |
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These procedures are designed to identify and/or mitigate the risk of exotic pest introductions through action taken in foreign countries. Integrity checks to ensure compliance with the program guidelines may be conducted at the U.S. port of entry. Click on the above link to learn more about the procedures and activities associated with preclearance.
Last Modified: March 10, 2008