APHIS Allows Imports of Larger Dracaena Plants from Costa Rica, Imposes Conditions
Imports of Dracaena plants from Costa Rica to the continental U.S. will be allowed, with certain conditions, effective July 26, said the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in a final rule. The conditions will apply to plants less than 460 mm in length, which are currently allowed to be imported, and will also allow for the importation of plants over 460 mm and up to 1,371.6 mm in length, which are currently prohibited.
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Requirements Include Pest Risk Management Measures, Phytosanitary Cert., Etc.
As a condition of entry, Dracaena spp. plants from Costa Rica will have to be produced in accordance with integrated pest risk management measures that will include requirements for registration of place of production and packinghouses, a pest management plan, inspection for quarantine pests, sanitation, and traceability from place of production through the packing and export facility and to the port of entry into the U.S. All Dracaena spp. plants from Costa Rica will also be required to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration saying that all conditions for the importation of the plants have been met and that the consignment of plants has been inspected and found free of quarantine pests.
(See ITT's Online Archives 11103135 for summary of APHIS' proposed rule, which was adopted without change in this final rule.)