Citrus Imports from Egypt Undergo USDA Pest Risk Assessment

Trade Update • January 18, 2023

he U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) has created a pest risk assessment report that details the potential risks posed by importing fresh oranges and tangerines from Egypt into the United States. This document updates a Federal Register notice published in 2013, which included a list of pests associated with these fruits and identified the U.S. geographic areas that can receive them.

The current assessment looks to further ensure the protection of American citizens from any potential harm that could result from introducing these foreign produce items into domestic populations, such as disease-causing organisms or invasive plant species. To better safeguard U.S. borders, USDA APHIS is taking a thorough approach to this assessment to outline all possible scenarios for how these products could impact both humans and agricultural systems if imported into the country.

Have Your Say

Stakeholders who have information that might lead APHIS to revise its assessment before identifying pest mitigations and proceeding with the commodity import approval process are requested to comment on this assessment no later than February 12, 2023. Please submit your comments to PPQPRAComments@usda.gov. You will need to include the name of the commodity assessed by the draft document in the Subject line of your emailed comment.

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