The U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has proposed various rules that would allow raspberry, blackberry and bell pepper imports from new Latin American countries. 

One rule would see fresh Andean raspberries and blackberries from Ecuador into the continental U.S., another would allow fresh bell pepper imports from Ecuador into the U.S., and the other would permit fresh bell pepper shipments from Peru into the continental U.S. and its territories.

Bell peppers from both countries would have to be produced in accordance with a systems approach that would include requirements for fruit fly trapping, pre-harvest inspections, production sites, and packhouse procedures designed to exclude quarantine pests.

The vegetables would also only be permitted for import in commercial consignments.

As for the berries' condition of entry, the fruit would also have to be produced in accordance with a systems approach that would include requirements for importation in commercial consignments, from a pest free production site within a certified low pest prevalence area for fruit flies, and pest monitoring and trapping.

In the rules published last week on the Federal Register, APHIS said the import requirements would provide protection against the introduction of quarantine pests into the continental United States and its territories.

All the proposed rules have public comment periods that will expire on June 23.

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