SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Under the regulations in “Subpart L—Fruits and Vegetables” (7 CFR 319.56-1 through 319.56-12, referred to below as the regulations), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) prohibits or restricts the importation of fruits and vegetables into the United States from certain parts of the world to prevent plant pests from being introduced into or disseminated within the United States.

Section 319.56-4 of the regulations provides the requirements for authorizing the importation of fruits and vegetables into the United States, as well as revising existing requirements for the importation of fruits and vegetables. Paragraph (c) of that section provides that the name and origin of all fruits and vegetables authorized importation into the United States, as well as the requirements for their importation, are listed on the internet at https://acir.aphis.usda.gov/​s/​; this address provides access to the Agricultural Commodity Import Requirements database, or ACIR. It also provides that, if the Administrator of APHIS determines that any of the phytosanitary measures required for the importation of a particular fruit or vegetable are no longer necessary to reasonably mitigate the plant pest risk posed by the fruit or vegetable, APHIS will publish a notice in the Federal Register making its pest risk documentation and determination available for public comment.

Fresh pineapple fruit from the Philippines is currently listed in ACIR as authorized for importation into Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the North Atlantic region of the United States. Fresh pineapple fruit from Thailand is currently listed in ACIR as authorized for importation into all of the United States (except Hawaii), subject to irradiation treatment. This requirement was first adopted in 2007 as a risk mitigation measure against Coccus viridis, Dysmicoccus neobrevipes,Planococcus minor, and Frankliniella schultzei.

The national plant protection organization (NPPO) of the Philippines requested APHIS authorize entry of fresh pineapple ( Ananas comosus (L.)) into all ports of the United States. The NPPO of Thailand requested APHIS authorize importation of pineapples without irradiation treatment and into all United States ports, including Hawaii.

In response to these requests, APHIS prepared plant pest risk assessments that evaluate the plant pest and noxious weed risks associated with importation of fresh pineapple from the Philippines and Thailand into the United States, as well as risk management documents (RMDs) that propose mitigation measures to address these risks.

Therefore, in accordance with § 319.56-4(c), we are announcing the availability of our PRAs and RMDs for public review and comment. Those documents, as well as a description of the economic considerations associated with revising the conditions for the importation of fresh pineapple from the Philippines and Thailand, may be viewed on the Regulations.gov website or in our reading room (see ADDRESSES above for a link to Regulations.gov and information on the location and hours of the reading room). You may request paper copies of the PRAs and RMDs by calling or writing to the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT . Please refer to the subject of the analysis you wish to review when requesting copies.

After reviewing any comments we receive, we will announce our decision regarding whether to revise the requirements for the importation of fresh pineapple fruit from the Philippines and Thailand in a subsequent notice. If the overall conclusions of our analysis and the Administrator's determination of risk remain unchanged following our consideration of the comments, then we will revise the requirements for the importation of fresh pineapple fruit from the Philippines and Thailand as specified in the RMDs. Depending on the comments received, we may elect to finalize one revision, while leaving the other unchanged.

Authority:7 U.S.C. 1633, 7701-7772, and 7781-7786; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.

91 FR 35176