Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing the temporary suspension of the preclearance program for apples and pears from New Zealand. While APHIS is unable to send preclearance inspectors to New Zealand at this time due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and safety concerns, imports of apples and pears from New Zealand will be allowed to continue subject to existing U.S. requirements.
Preclearance for apples and pears from New Zealand to the United States is an optional service. U.S. import requirements allow apples and pears from New Zealand to enter all U.S. ports of entry without preclearance if they undergo required inspection on arrival and meet all general requirements of 7 CFR 319.56-3. This includes all pest mitigation restrictions and treatments ordered by the port of entry inspector. For more information on specific import requirements, please visit the APHIS Fruits and Vegetables Import Requirements website.
APHIS will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and guidance from the U.S. Department of State and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine when it is safe to resume the preclearance program for apples and pears from New Zealand.
