May 27, 2015

U.S. now accepting Chinese fresh apples

Effective May 26, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has amended its fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the importation of fresh apples from China into the continental United States.

As a condition of entry, apples from areas in China in which the Oriental fruit fly is not known to exist will have to be produced in accordance with a systems approach that includes requirements for registration of places of production and packinghouses, inspection for quarantine pests at set intervals by the national plant protection organization of China, bagging of fruit, safeguarding, labeling and importation in commercial consignments. Apples from areas in China in which Oriental fruit fly is known to exist may be imported into the continental United States if, in addition to these requirements, the apples are treated with fumigation plus refrigeration, according to the Federal Register.

All apples from China will also be required to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating that all conditions for the importation of the apples have been met and that the consignment of apples has been inspected and found free of quarantine pests. This action allows for the importation of apples from China into the continental United States while continuing to provide protection against the introduction of quarantine pests, according to the Federal Register.

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The amendment allowing Chinese fresh apples is part of an agreement reached between the two governments in January, when China agreed to allow all U.S. apple varieties into its borders.