Tomato and Pepper import retrictions.

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION

DA-2019-28

November 15, 2019

Subject:    Federal Order for U.S. Imports of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and pepper (Capsicum spp.) hosts of Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV)

To:            State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

Effective November 22, 2019, after issuance of this notice, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will restrict the importation of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and pepper (Capsicum spp.) hosts of Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV). APHIS has determined it is necessary to restrict the importation of these plant species to prevent the introduction of ToBRFV into the United States.

ToBRFV is a recently described member of the Tobamovirus genus. This virus genus also contains other economically important pathogens that infect vegetable crops, including Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), and Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV). The disease caused by ToBRFV was first reported in 2014 in tomatoes in Israel. Since then, ToBRFV has been reported in China, Mexico, Germany (eradicated), Italy, Jordan, Turkey, Greece, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. Given the global nature of seed production and the international movement of seeds, the distribution may be greater than reported.

Tomato and pepper are the two main hosts. Symptoms caused by ToBRFV include bubbling and mosaic on leaves of susceptible pepper, and fern leaf and mosaic on tomato leaves. On fruit, symptoms include smaller fruit size with a rough surface, fruit drop, delay in ripening, and fruit discoloration including blotching, pale color and/or brown necrotic spots. Infected tomato fruits can be unmarketable or reduced in quality. Necrosis can occur on susceptible pepper fruit.

Tobamoviruses are mechanically transmitted and seedborne viruses. ToBRFV is mechanically transmissible through infected sap of both tomato and pepper. Transmission occurs through touching and manipulating infected plants. Transmission is common during transplant productions or in crop production systems in which plants are regularly handled, such as greenhouse operations.

To safeguard against the introduction of ToBRFV into the United States, APHIS is restricting the importation of tomato and pepper by requiring imported plants and plant products to be free of evidence of ToBRFV, as specified in the attached Federal Order. Currently, propagative hosts are considered high risk pathways for the introduction of ToBRFV and under the conditions of the Federal Order, imports of propagative material must be free from ToBRFV based on origin from an area where the pest is absent or based on negative results of diagnostic testing.

APHIS is placing restrictions on imports of fresh tomato and pepper fruit from those countries where ToBRFV is present and that are approved to export to the United States. Although the phytosanitary risk associated with infected fruit is historically considered to be low, in light of reports of the transmission of the virus from fruit, these interim measures are necessary to safeguard U.S. tomato and pepper production while APHIS fully evaluates emerging scientific evidence on ToBRFV. Specifically, APHIS will require tomato and pepper fruit imported from Mexico, Israel, and the Netherlands (countries approved to export tomatoes where ToBRFV is present) to be inspected at the point of origin to ensure it is free of disease symptoms. Because Canada imports tomato and pepper fruit from Mexico that are re-exported to this country, APHIS will also require tomato and pepper fruit from Canada to be inspected at the point of origin to ensure it is free of disease symptoms. In addition, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will increase inspections at U.S. ports of entry to ensure imported tomato and pepper fruit entering from Mexico, Israel, the Netherlands, and Canada do not show any signs of disease upon arrival.

We will also restrict importation of tomato and pepper fruit worldwide to commercial consignments only and prohibit imports in passenger baggage.

These requirements for imported fruit will remain in place until APHIS completes its risk analysis of the fruit pathway for ToBRFV introduction into the United States and determines appropriate regulatory action.

For additional information regarding this Federal Import Order, please contact Dr. Angela McMellen-Brannigan at 301-851-2314 or Angela.McMellen-Brannigan@usda.gov.