ORIENT Magazine - Cuisine Article - Import Requirements for Foreign Fruits and Vegetables

Import Requirements for Foreign Fruits and Vegetables

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So you want to bring in fruits and vegetables from your country to the United States? Before you do it, be sure you know what rules and regulations you must follow.
The rules and regulations that govern the importation and exportation of fresh fruits and vegetables (including herbs) are enforced by federal officers of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and the Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ).
You can facilitate the importation of fresh fruits and vegetables from a foreign country into the United States by following a few simple steps which may save the novice importer/exporter valuable time, frustration, and possible financial losses.
Recommendations for Importing Fruits and Vegetables:
(A) Call your local USDA, APHIS, PPQ office to obtain the current status on the particular fruit(s) or vegetable(s) coming from the specified foreign country or countries.
(B) If the fruits/vegetables are admissible, obtain an application for a permit to import. This is called PPQ Form 587 - Application for Permit to Import Plants and Plant Products.
The "Admissible List" documents under "Quarantine 56" cover all countries from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. These permits are free of charge and are valid for five (5) years. It is advisable that the importer obtain a fruit and vegetable import permit (commonly referred to as a "56 Permit") prior to the importation of any fruits and vegetables. A separate permit must be secured for shipments from each country and for each port of first arrival in the United States. It is also advisable that the importer notify their local PPQ office prior to any importation. All ports welcome this early notification by the receipt of a PPQ Form 368 - Notice of Arrival. PPQ Form 621 is an application for General Permit to Engage in the Business of Importing, Exporting, or Re-exporting Terrestrial Plants. For commercial shipments, check with the US Customs Service in your area for their import requirement.
USDA, APHIS, PPQ now has a twenty-four (24) hour/7 days a week automated retrieval system. Hence, an importer can receive free information by fax on topics such as: what permits are necessary to import fruits and vegetables from a foreign country, how to get these permits, where to send these permits, and what are the regulations that govern the importation of fruits and vegetables from a foreign country). It is called the faxVault system which is also designed to receive foreign calls.
Recommended procedures:

Have your fax number handy (with lots of paper!)
Call (301) 734-4327 (24 hours/7 days). If you want a complete list of all the documents within the system, press the number two (2) in response to the first question, then follow the remaining instructions.
Once you have the complete listing of all the documents, you can request the free information. Each document has its corresponding document number; use these numbers to request the documents that you want. You can only request three documents per phone call.

(C) All foreign shipments of fresh fruits and vegetables are subject to inspection by a PPQ Officer at the first port of arrival (the first port within the United States where the shipment is (1) offered for consumption entry or (2) offered for entry for immediate transportation in bond). It is only after PPQ's clearance can the shipment be released.
Recommendations For Exporting Fruit and Vegetables To A Foreign Country:
(A) Call your local USDA, APHIS, PPQ office to obtain the current entry requirements of the particular fruit(s) or vegetable (s) for the specified country or countries. This is usually done by requesting a PPQ Form 572. Allow ample time for the PPQ Officer to research the entry requirements of the foreign country.
(B) If the fruits/vegetables are enterable into the foreign country, make arrangements with your local PPQ office for certification and payment. Yes, there is a fee for certification. Again, check with your local PPQ office for the correct payment amount (a certificate is commonly referred to as a "phytosanitary certificate"). Once you have the signed certificate, you are now ready to export!

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