USDA-APHIS revises Federal Order related to cut flowers from the Netherlands

USDA-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has revised a Federal Order it issued on Dec. 20, 2010, outlining new requirements for the importation of cut flowers from the Netherlands. The Federal Order seeks to prevent the introduction or dissemination of harmful plant pests into the U.S. Certain quarantine pests, including Helicoverpa armigera (cotton bollworm), Mamestra brassicae (cabbage moth), Autographa gamma (Silver-Y moth), have been detected more frequently on shipments of cut flowers from the Netherlands.
Starting Jan. 20, 2011, APHIS will require that cut flower shipments from the Netherlands be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate certifying that the regulated articles have been inspected and are considered to be free from quarantine pests to prevent the introduction and establishment of the pests. The Federal Order was revised on Jan. 14 to include all cut flowers from the Netherlands that have been imported into a third country before entry into the U.S. must also be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate.
A small number of specific genera of cut flowers from the Netherlands will be exempt from the phytosanitary certificate requirement which will be listed in the “Cut Flowers and Greenery Import Manual”.