On May 24th, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced, effectively immediately, fresh cherries from Ontario, Canada, will be refused entry at all U.S. ports.
APHIS is taking their action to prevent the introduction of European cherry fruit fly, which has been detected in Ontario. The action applies to both commercial shipments and non-commercial imports, including fresh cherries carried by travelers who are crossing the U.S.-Canada border.
Fresh cherries from other Canadian provinces, including British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and Quebec, are allowed if they are accompanied by a bill of lading or vendor receipt that confirms the fruit’s origin.
Cherries that have been frozen, canned, cooked, dehydrated, jellied, juiced, or pickled, are allowed from all Canadian provinces.
The APHIS “Federal Order” is available to view on the APHIS website.
For additional information, contact USDA/APHIS Senior Regulatory Policy Specialist Marc Phillips at (301) 851-2114 or via email at Marc.Phillips@aphis.usda.gov.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has also issued guidance regarding the European Cherry Fruit Fly.
If you have general questions regarding the information in this bulletin, please contact either your Livingston account manager, or our regulatory affairs group at usregaffairs@livingstonintl.com.