The Department of Agriculture is expanding the production areas in Australia authorized to import fresh citrus fruit into the United States.
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service also revised the conditions under which citrus from Australia may be imported.
Currently, imports of fresh citrus fruit are allowed into the United States from three Australian regions, but the announcement adds three additional approved regions.
APHIS scientists prepared a pest risk assessment and a commodity import evaluation document to identify phytosanitary measures to safely import citrus without introducing pests.
The citrus fruit must either originate from an approved production area that is free of Queensland fruit fly, Mediterranean fruit fly, and/or Lesser Queensland fruit fly, or be treated with cold treatment or other approved treatment.
Based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, APHIS determined that the application of one or more outlined phytosanitary measures will sufficiently mitigate the risks of plant pests and noxious weeds.
