U.S. implements new regulations for peppers shipped from Canada

Effective Oct. 23, USDA will allow the importation of fresh peppers from Canada when accompanied by an industry-issued certificate of origin declaring that the peppers have been grown in Canada or in the approved countries of Belgium, Mexico, the Dominican Republic or the U.S. This is a result of a recent U.S. discovery of false codling moth (Thaumatotibia leucotreta) on imported fresh peppers from the Netherlands. On Oct. 1, the U.S. suspended the import of fresh peppers from the Netherlands and increased precautionary measures by requiring that shipments of peppers from Canada be accompanied by a certificate of origin. Peppers produced in any country other than Canada or the four approved countries, regardless of where they are shipped from, will not be allowed entry into the U.S. USDA will enforce its regulations for any shipments whose country of origin is incorrectly declared at the border. Canadian Food Inspection Agency continues to allow fresh peppers to be imported from the Netherlands. The agency has increased its inspection rates to 100 percent for these shipments to ensure they do not contain false codling moth. CFIA now requires that phytosanitary certificates accompany pepper shipments to specify that they are free of all living stages of the moth. The moth is not considered a quarantine pest in Canada.