. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/476
26 July 2001
(01-3752)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  UNITED STATES
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service - APHIS
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where
applicable).  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable:  Phytosanitary certificates
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Importation of Nursery Stock,
Plants, Roots, Bulbs, Seeds, and Other Plant Products; Phytosanitary Certificates; Policy
Statement (3 pages)
5. Description of content:  The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS),
through this document, gives notice that we intend to begin consistently and routinely
enforcing an existing requirement that a phytosanitary certificate of inspection accompanyrestricted articles, other than certain greenhouse-grown plants from Canada, that are offered
for importation into the United States under our foreign quarantine regulations for nursery
stock, plants, roots, bulbs, seeds, and other plant products.  While the regulations provide
that a phytosanitary certificate must accompany such items, this provision has not been
consistently enforced with regard to all shipments of restricted articles arriving at US ports
of entry.  Therefore, we are providing this  notification to alert affected importers and
members of the public that we intend to enforce this provision on a consistent, uniformbasis.  This action is necessary in order to more effectively mitigate the risk of introduction
of foreign plant pests associated with the importation of these commodities into the United
States.
6. Objective and rationale: [    ] food safety,  [    ] animal health,  [  X ] plant protection,
[    ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [    ] protect territory from
other damage from pests           
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [    ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:  APHIS is clarifying this enforcement action in
accordance with Article 5 of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  66 FR 38137,
23 July 2001 (Available in English)
9. Proposed date of adoption:  21 September 2001G/SPS/N/USA/476
Page 2
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  21 September 2001
11. Final date for comments:
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [     ] National notification
authority, [     ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:  The full text of this policy statement is available from the
address in paragraph 12.
12. Texts available from: [  X ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
United States SPS Enquiry Point/Notification Authority
USDA/FAS/FSTSD
ATTN: Carolyn F. Wilson
Room 5545 South Agriculture Building
Stop 1027
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.Washington, D.C. 20250
Tel:  (202) 720-2239
Fax:  (202) 690-0677
E-mail:  ofsts@fas.usda.gov