Fruit Shipment Restrictions
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection manages fruit shipments. Customs must investigate imported fruit to ensure it meets the guidelines of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Exported fruit must also meet the regulations that the USDA enforces before cargo loads of fruit may be exported. Customs does restrict certain fruit from entering the United States depending on current U.S. trade laws.
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Concerns
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Customs must regulate shipments of fruits in case of crop disease or pest outbreaks. Customs uses the example of the 1980's outbreak of the Mediterranean fruit fly, which decimated crops across California. The fly came in from noninspected fruit that a traveler brought back to the United States from abroad.
Interstate Commerce
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The USDA monitors all interstate commerce concerning fruit sales. For example, the USDA imposes some regulations on the distribution of Florida oranges. One such regulation is that a Florida orange cannot cross state lines unless the field the fruit is harvested from has been inspected by the USDA over the last 30 days. Another regulation from the USDA is that the orange must have all recommended decontamination chemicals applied to it before shipment.
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Import Compliance
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No country can import its fruits without the consent of the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), which implements the standards and policies of the USDA. Pursuant to U.S. federal code 7 U.S.C. 608(e), which is enforced by the AMS, all fruits must have their maturity level, grade, and size assessed before the fruit enters the United States.
Export Limitations
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The Plant Protection and Quarantine, or PPQ, department of the USDA stops all shipments of contaminated fruits from leaving the United States. If the Department of Health picks up on harmful pathogens or parasites found in domestic fruits, then the PPQ will quarantine the fruits from being shipped internationally or domestically.
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References
- Photo Credit fruit image by Leonie Pratt from Fotolia.com
