---
kind: "range"
citation: "7 C.F.R. §§ 319.37-20–319.37-23"
title: "7"
from: "319.37-20"
to: "319.37-23"
count: 4
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/7/319.37-20..319.37-23"
---

# §319.37-20. Restrictions on the importation of specific types of plants for planting.

- (a) **Plant type-specific restrictions.** In addition to the general restrictions in this subpart, the Administrator may impose additional restrictions on the importation of specific types of plants for planting necessary to effectively mitigate the risk of introducing quarantine pests into the United States through the importation of specific plants for planting. Additional restrictions may be placed on the importation of the entire plant or on certain plant parts. A list of the types of plants for planting whose importation is subject to additional restrictions, and the specific restrictions that apply to the importation of each type of plants for planting, may be found in the Plants for Planting Manual.
- (b) **Basis for changing restrictions.** The Administrator may determine that it is necessary to add, change, or remove restrictions on the importation of a specific type of plants for planting, based on the risk of introducing a quarantine pest through the importation of that type of plants for planting. The Administrator will make this determination based on the findings of a pest risk analysis or on other scientific evidence.
- (c) **Process for adding, changing, or removing restrictions.** Restrictions on the importation of a specific type of plants for planting beyond the general restrictions in [§§ 319.37-5 through 319.37-11](/cfr/7/319.37-5..319.37-11.md) will be changed through the following process:
  - (1) **Document describing restrictions.** APHIS will publish in the Federal Register a notice that announces our proposed determination that it is necessary to add, change, or remove restrictions on the importation of a specific type of plants for planting. This notice will make available for public comment a document describing the restrictions that the Administrator has determined are necessary and how these restrictions will mitigate the risk of introducing quarantine pests into the United States.
  - (2) **Response to comments.** APHIS will issue a second notice after the close of the public comment period on the notice described in [paragraph (c)(1)](#c-1) of this section. This notice will inform the public of the specific restrictions, if any, that the Administrator has determined to be necessary in order to mitigate the risk of introducing quarantine pests into the United States through the importation of the type of plants for planting. In response to the public comments submitted, the Administrator may implement the restrictions described in the document made available by the initial notice, amend the restrictions in response to public comment, or determine that changes to the restrictions on the importation of the type of plants for planting are unnecessary.
- (d) **Previously imposed restrictions on specific types of plants for planting.** Types of plants for planting whose importation was subject to specific restrictions by specific regulation as of April 18, 2018, will continue to be subject to those restrictions, except as changed in accordance with the process specified in [paragraph (c)](#c) of this section. The restrictions are found in the Plants for Planting Manual.

# §319.37-21. Integrated pest risk management measures.


If a type of plants for planting is a host of a quarantine pest or pests, APHIS may require the type of plants for planting to be produced in accordance with integrated pest risk management measures as a condition of importation. This section sets out a general framework for integrated pest risk management measures. When APHIS determines that integrated measures are necessary to mitigate risk, APHIS will use this framework to develop integrated pest risk management measures that mitigate the quarantine pest risks associated with that type of plants for planting through the process described in [§ 319.37-20](/cfr/7/319.37-20.md).

- (a) **Responsibilities of the place of production.** The place of production is responsible for identifying, developing, and implementing procedures that meet the requirements of both the NPPO of the exporting country and APHIS. Participants in the export program must be approved by the NPPO or its designee and APHIS. Approval will be conferred by the NPPO or its designee and APHIS after the participant meets the conditions required for integrated pest risk management. Approval will be withdrawn if the participant fails to meet the conditions at any time. All documentation required under paragraphs [(a)(5)](#a-5) and [(6)](#a-6) of this section will be maintained by the exporting place of production and made available to official representatives of the NPPO of the exporting country and APHIS upon request. The place of production must be open to necessary and reasonable audit, monitoring, and evaluation of compliance by the NPPO of the exporting country and APHIS. The management of the place of production will be responsible for complying with the integrated pest risk management measures. Management must specify the roles and responsibilities of its personnel to perform program activities. The place of production must notify the NPPO of the exporting country of deficiencies detected during internal audits. The NPPO of the exporting country will be responsible for ensuring that the place of production is in compliance with the integrated pest risk management measures.
  - (1) **Pest management program.** The place of production must develop and implement an approved pest management program that contains ongoing pest monitoring and procedures for the exclusion and control of plant pests. The place of production must obtain material used to produce plants for planting from sources that are free of quarantine pests and that are approved by the NPPO of the exporting country and APHIS. All sources of plants for planting and the phytosanitary status of those plants must be well-documented and the program for producing plants for planting carefully monitored.
  - (2) **Training.** A training program approved by the NPPO of the exporting country and APHIS must be established, documented, and regularly conducted at the place of production. The training program must ensure that all those involved in the export program possess specific knowledge related to the relevant components of the program and a general understanding of its requirements.
  - (3) **Internal audits.** The place of production must perform, or designate parties to perform internal audits that ensure that a plan approved and documented by APHIS and the NPPO of the exporting country is being followed and is achieving the appropriate level of pest management.
  - (4) **Traceability.** The place of production must implement a procedure approved by APHIS and the NPPO of the exporting country or its designee that documents and identifies plants from propagation through harvest and sale to ensure that plants can be traced forward and back from the place of production. Depending on the nature of the quarantine pests, the system may need to account for:
    - (i) The origin and pest status of mother stock;
    - (ii) The year of propagation and the place of production of all plant parts that make up the plants for planting intended for export;
    - (iii) Geographic location of the place of production;
    - (iv) Location of plants for planting within the place of production;
    - (v) The plant taxon; and
    - (vi) **The purchaser's identity.**
  - (5) **Documentation of program procedures.** The place of production must develop a manual approved by the NPPO of the exporting country and APHIS that guides the place of production's operation and that includes the following components:
    - (i) Administrative procedures (including roles and responsibilities and training procedures);
    - (ii) Pest management plan;
    - (iii) Place of production internal audit procedures;
    - (iv) Management of noncompliant product or procedures;
    - (v) Traceability procedures; and
    - (vi) **Recordkeeping systems.**
  - (6) **Records.** A place of production must maintain records on its premises as specified by APHIS and the NPPO of the exporting country. These records must be made available to APHIS and the NPPO of the exporting country upon request. These documents include all the elements described in this [paragraph (a)](#a) and copies of all internal and external audit documents and reports.
- (b) **Responsibilities of APHIS and the NPPO of the exporting country.** APHIS and the NPPO of the exporting country are responsible for collaborating to establish program requirements, including workplans and compliance agreements as necessary, for recognizing and implementing particular import programs. Technically justified modifications to the program may be negotiated. The administration of program requirements must include such elements as clarification of terminology, testing and retesting requirements, eligibility, the nomenclature of certification levels, horticultural management, isolation and sanitation requirements, inspection, documentation, identification and labeling, quality assurance, noncompliance and remedial measures, and postentry quarantine requirements. The criteria for approving, suspending, removing, and reinstating approval for a particular program should be jointly developed and agreed upon by APHIS and the NPPO of the exporting country. Information should be exchanged between APHIS and the NPPO of the exporting country through officially designated points of contact.
- (c) **Responsibilities of the NPPO of the exporting country.**
  - (1) The NPPO of the exporting country must provide sufficient information to APHIS to support the evaluation and acceptance of export programs. This may include:
    - (i) Specific identification of the commodity, place of production, and expected volume and frequency of consignments;
    - (ii) Relevant production, harvest, packing, handling, and transport details;
    - (iii) Pests associated with the plant including prevalence, distribution, and damage potential;
    - (iv) Risk management measures proposed for a pest management program; and
    - (v) **Relevant efficacy data.**
  - (2) A phytosanitary certificate should be issued by the NPPO of the exporting country unless APHIS and the NPPO of the exporting country agree to use other documentation in accordance with [§ 319.37-6(c)](/cfr/7/319.37-6.md?p=c).
  - (3) **Other responsibilities of the NPPO of the exporting country include—**
    - (i) Establishing and maintaining compliance agreements as necessary;
    - (ii) Oversight and enforcement of program provisions;
    - (iii) Arrangements for monitoring and audit; and
    - (iv) **Maintaining appropriate records.**
- (d) **Responsibilities of plant brokers trading in plants for planting produced in accordance with integrated pest risk management measures.** Plant brokers trading in plants for planting produced in accordance with integrated pest risk management measures must be approved by the NPPO of the exporting country or its designee. The list of plant brokers must be provided to APHIS upon request. Approval may only be conferred by the NPPO or its designee after the participant demonstrates that it can meet the requirements of this [paragraph (d)](#d). Approval must be withdrawn if the participant fails to meet the conditions at any time. Plant brokers must ensure the traceability of export consignments to an approved place of production or production site. Brokers must maintain the phytosanitary status of the plants equivalent to an approved place of production from purchase, storage, and transportation to the export destination. Plant brokers must document these processes for verifying status and maintaining traceability.
- (e) **External audits.** APHIS and the NPPO of the exporting country will agree to the requirements for external audits.
  - (1) **APHIS audits.** APHIS will evaluate the integrated pest risk management measures of the NPPO of the exporting country before acceptance. This could consist of documentation review, site visits, and inspection and testing of plants produced under the system. Following approval, APHIS or its designee will monitor and periodically audit the system to ensure that it continues to meet the stated objectives. Audits will include inspection of imported plants for planting, site visits, and review of the integrated pest risk management measures and internal audit processes of the place of production and the NPPO of the exporting country.
  - (2) **Audits by the NPPO of the exporting country.** The NPPO must arrange for audits of the exporting system. Audits may be conducted by the NPPO or its designee and may consist of inspection and testing of plants for planting and the documentation and management practices as they relate to the program. Audits should verify that:
    - (i) The places of production in the program are free of quarantine pests;
    - (ii) Program participants are complying with the specified standards;
    - (iii) The integrated pest management measures continue to meet APHIS requirements; and
    - (iv) **Arrangements with designees are complied with.**
- (f) **Noncompliance.**
  - (1) The exporting NPPO must notify APHIS of noncompliance within the integrity of the system or noncompliance by a place of production that affects the phytosanitary integrity of the commodity. The requirements for notification will be determined between the NPPO of the exporting country and APHIS.
  - (2) Regulatory responses to program failures will be based on existing bilateral agreements. Contingency plans may be established in advance to ensure that alternative measures are available in the event that all or part of a program fails. APHIS will specify the consequences of noncompliance to the NPPO of the exporting country. The NPPO must specify the consequences of noncompliance to the participants in the program. These may vary depending on the nature and severity of the infraction. In addition, remedial measures should be specified to enable a suspended or decertified place of production or plant broker to become eligible for reinstatement or recertification.
  - (3) Places of production or plant brokers that do not meet the conditions of the program must be suspended. Plants for planting must not be exported from a place of production or a plant broker that has failed to meet the program requirements.
  - (4) The effectiveness of remedial measures taken must be verified before reinstatement to the program by the exporting NPPO and, where appropriate, by APHIS.

# §319.37-22. Trust fund agreements.


If APHIS personnel need to be physically present in an exporting country or region to facilitate the exportation of plants for planting and APHIS services are to be funded by the NPPO of the exporting country or a private export group, then the NPPO or the private export group must enter into a trust fund agreement with APHIS that is in effect at the time APHIS' services are needed. Under the agreement, the NPPO of the exporting country or the private export group must pay in advance all estimated costs that APHIS expects to incur in providing inspection services in the exporting country. These costs will include administrative expenses incurred in conducting the services and all salaries (including overtime and the Federal share of employee benefits), travel expenses (including per diem expenses), and other incidental expenses incurred by the inspectors in performing services. The agreement must require the NPPO of the exporting country or region or a private export group to deposit a certified or cashier's check with APHIS for the amount of those costs, as estimated by APHIS. The agreement must further specify that, if the deposit is not sufficient to meet all costs incurred by APHIS, the NPPO of the exporting country or a private export group must deposit with APHIS, before the services will be completed, a certified or cashier's check for the amount of the remaining costs, as determined by APHIS. After a final audit at the conclusion of each shipping season, any overpayment of funds would be returned to the NPPO of the exporting country or region or a private export group, or held on account.


# §319.37-23. Postentry quarantine.

- (a) **Postentry quarantine.** One specific restriction that may be placed upon the importation of a type of plants for planting in accordance with [§ 319.37-20](/cfr/7/319.37-20.md) is that it be grown in postentry quarantine. The Plants for Planting Manual lists the taxa required to be imported into postentry quarantine. Plants for planting grown in postentry quarantine must be grown under postentry quarantine conditions specified in paragraphs [(c)](#c) and [(d)](#d) of this section, and may be imported or offered for importation into the United States only:
  - (1) If destined for a State that has completed a State postentry quarantine agreement with APHIS in accordance with [paragraph (b)](#b) of this section;
  - (2) If an importer postentry quarantine growing agreement has been completed and submitted to Plant Protection and Quarantine in accordance with [paragraph (c)](#c) of this section. The agreement must be signed by the person (the importer) applying for the importation of the plants for planting in accordance with [§ 319.6](/cfr/7/319.6.md); and,
  - (3) If Plant Protection and Quarantine has determined that the completed postentry quarantine growing agreement fulfills the applicable requirements of this section and that services by State inspectors are available to monitor and enforce the postentry quarantine.
- (b) **State postentry quarantine agreement.** Plants for planting required to undergo postentry quarantine in accordance with [§ 319.37-20](/cfr/7/319.37-20.md) may only be imported if destined for postentry quarantine growing in a State which has entered into a written agreement with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, signed by the Administrator or his or her designee and by the State Plant Regulatory Official. In accordance with the laws of individual States, inspection and other postentry quarantine services provided by a State may be subject to charges imposed by the State. A list of States that have entered into a postentry quarantine agreement in accordance with this paragraph can be found in the Plants for Planting Manual.
- (c) **Importer postentry quarantine growing agreements.** Any plants for planting required to be grown under postentry quarantine conditions, as well as any increase therefrom, shall be grown in accordance with an importer postentry quarantine growing agreement signed by the person (the importer) applying for a written permit in accordance with [§ 319.37-5](/cfr/7/319.37-5.md) for importation of the plants for planting and submitted to Plant Protection and Quarantine. On each importer postentry quarantine growing agreement, the person shall also obtain the signature of the State Plant Regulatory Official for the State in which plants for planting covered by the agreement will be grown. The importer postentry quarantine growing agreement shall specify the kind, number, and origin of plants to be imported; the conditions specified in the Plants for Planting Manual under which the plants for planting will be grown, maintained, and labeled; and the reporting requirements in the case of abnormal or dead plants for planting. The agreement shall certify to APHIS and to the State in which the plants for planting are grown that the signer of the agreement will comply with the conditions of the agreement for the postentry quarantine growing period prescribed for the type of plants for planting in the Plants for Planting Manual.
- (d) **Applications for permits.** A completed importer postentry quarantine agreement shall accompany the application for a written permit for plants for planting required to be grown under postentry quarantine conditions. Importer postentry quarantine agreement forms are available without charge from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Permit Unit, 4700 River Road, Unit 136, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236 or on the internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/permits/ppq_epermits.shtml.
- (e) **Inspector-ordered disposal, movement, or safeguarding of plants for planting; costs and charges, civil and criminal liabilities—**
  - (1) **Growing at unauthorized sites.** If an inspector determines that any plants for planting subject to the postentry quarantine growing requirements of this section, or any increase therefrom, is being grown at an unauthorized site, the inspector may file an emergency action notification (PPQ Form 523) with the owner of the plants for planting or the person who owns or is in possession of the site on which the plants for planting is being grown. The person named in the PPQ Form 523 must, within the time specified in PPQ Form 523, sign a postentry quarantine growing agreement, destroy, ship to a point outside the United States, move to an authorized postentry quarantine site, and/or apply treatments or other safeguards to the plants for planting, the increase therefrom, or any portion of the plants for planting or the increase therefrom, as prescribed by an inspector to prevent the introduction of quarantine pests into the United States. In choosing which action to order and in setting the time limit for the action, the inspector shall consider the degree of pest risk presented by the quarantine pests associated with the type of plants for planting (including increase therefrom), the types of other host materials for the pest in or near the growing site, the climate and season at the site in relation to the pest's survival, and the availability of treatment facilities.
  - (2) **Growing at authorized sites.** If an inspector determines that any plants for planting, or any increase therefrom, grown at a site specified in an authorized postentry quarantine growing agreement is being grown contrary to the provisions of this section, including in numbers greater than the number approved by the postentry quarantine growing agreement, or in a manner that otherwise presents a risk of introducing quarantine pests into the United States, the inspector shall issue an emergency action notification (PPQ Form 523) to the person who signed the postentry quarantine growing agreement. That person shall be responsible for carrying out all actions specified in the emergency action notification. The emergency action notification may extend the time for which the plants for planting and the increase therefrom must be grown under the postentry quarantine conditions specified in the authorized postentry quarantine growing agreement, or may require that the person named in the notification must destroy, ship to a point outside the United States, or apply treatments or other safeguards to the plants for planting, the increase therefrom, or any portion of the plants for planting or the increase therefrom, within the time specified in the emergency action notification. In choosing which action to order and in setting the time limit for the action, the inspector shall consider the degree of pest risk presented by the quarantine pests associated with the type of plants for planting (including increase therefrom), the types of other host materials for the pest in or near the growing site, the climate and season at the site in relation to the pest's survival, and the availability of treatment facilities.
  - (3) **Costs and charges.** All costs pursuant to any action ordered by an inspector in accordance with this section shall be borne by the person who signed the postentry quarantine growing agreement covering the site where the plants for planting were grown, or if no such agreement was signed, by the owner of the plants for planting at the growing site.