Effective today, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has allowed the importation of turmeric from Samoa to the United States and its territories.
This was confirmed in a notice issued by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service yesterday.
Their decision to authorize the importation into the United States (including territories) of fresh turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizome from Samoa are based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, which they made available to the public for review and comment through a previous notice.
They have determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh turmeric ( Curcuma longa) rhizome from Samoa.
Under the regulations in “Subpart L-Fruits and Vegetables” the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibits or restricts the importation of fruits and vegetables into the United States from certain parts of the world to prevent plant pests from being introduced into and spread within the United States.
Section 319.56-4 of the regulations contains a performance-based process for approving the importation of commodities that, based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, can be safely imported subject to one or more of the designated phytosanitary measures.
The APHIS determined that the measures can mitigate the plant pest risk associated with the importation of that fruit or vegetable, following the close of the 60-day comment period ending on December 27, 2021. They received no comments by that date.
