APHIS Issues Final Rule Amending Mexican Hass Avocado Import Program

In the May 27, 2016, Federal Register, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service ("APHIS") amended a current regulation allowing commercial consignments of Hass avocado fruit into the continental United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico from the Mexican State of Michoacán to permit importation of fresh Hass avocado fruit from all of Mexico, provided individual Mexican states meet the requirements set out in the regulations and the operational workplan. The fruit will also be required to be imported in commercial consignments and accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the national plant protection organization of Mexico with an additional declaration stating the consignment was produced in accordance with the systems approach described in the operational workplan. This final rule will allow for the importation of fresh Hass avocado fruit from Mexico while continuing to provide protection against the introduction of plant pests into the continental