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Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
Notice of availability.
We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest risk analysis that evaluates the risks associated with importation of fresh sweet potato ( Ipomoea batatas (L.)) roots from the Republic of Korea into the United States for consumption. Currently, fresh sweet potato roots are authorized into Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Based on the analysis, we have determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh sweet potato roots from the Republic of Korea into the rest of the United States. We are making the pest risk analysis available to the public for review and comment.
We will consider all comments that we receive on or before May 12, 2026.
You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may be viewed at www.regulations.gov or in our reading room, which is located in Room 1620 of the USDA South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 799-7039 before coming.
Ms. Gina Stiltner, Senior Regulatory Policy Specialist, Regulatory Coordination and Compliance, PPQ, APHIS, 1400 Independence SW, Washington, DC 20250; (518) 760-2468.
Under the regulations in “Subpart L—Fruits and Vegetables” (7 CFR 319.56-1 through 319.56-12, referred to below as the regulations), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) prohibits or restricts the importation of fruits and vegetables into the United States from certain parts of the world to prevent plant pests from being introduced into or disseminated within the United States.
Section 319.56-4 contains a performance-based process for approving the importation of fruits and vegetables that, based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, can be safely imported subject to one or more of the five designated phytosanitary measures listed in paragraph (b) of that section. Paragraph (c) of that section provides that the name and origin of all fruits and vegetables authorized importation into the United States, as well as the requirements for their importation, be listed on the internet in APHIS' Agricultural Commodity Import Requirements database, or ACIR ( https://acir.aphis.usda.gov/s/).
Currently, fresh sweet potato roots from the Republic of Korea are listed in ACIR as authorized importation into Guam and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).
APHIS received a request from the national plant protection organization of the Republic of Korea to allow the importation of fresh sweet potato roots from the Republic of Korea into the rest of the United States.[1] As part of our evaluation of the Republic of Korea's request, we have prepared a pest risk assessment to identify the pests of quarantine significance that could follow the pathway of the importation of fresh sweet potato roots into the United States from the Republic of Korea. Based on the pest risk assessment, a risk management document (RMD) was prepared to identify phytosanitary measures that could be applied to the fresh sweet potato roots to mitigate the pest risk.
Therefore, in accordance with § 319.56-4(c), we are announcing the availability of our pest risk assessment and RMD for public review and comment. Those documents, as well as a description of the economic considerations associated with the importation of fresh sweet potato roots from the Republic of Korea, may be viewed on the Regulations.gov website or in our reading room (see ADDRESSES above for a link to Regulations.gov and information on the location and hours of the reading room). You may request paper copies of the pest risk assessment and RMD by calling or writing to the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT . Please refer to the subject of the analysis you wish to review when requesting copies.
After reviewing any comments we receive, we will announce our decision regarding the import status of fresh sweet potato roots from the Republic of Korea in a subsequent notice. If the overall conclusions of our analysis and the Administrator's determination of risk remain unchanged following our consideration of the comments, then we will authorize [2] the importation of fresh sweet potato roots from the Republic of Korea into the rest of the United States subject to the requirements specified in the RMD.
(Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1633, 7701-7772, and 7781-7786; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.)
Done in Washington, DC, this 4th day of March 2026.
Kelly Moore,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
1. The United States includes all states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and any other territory or possession of the United States. For this notice, “rest of the United States” does not include Guam or Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Back to Citation2. This notice will not impact the current import authorization to Guam and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Back to Citation[FR Doc. 2026-04922 Filed 3-12-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
42 comments have been received at Regulations.gov.
Agencies review all submissions and may choose to redact, or withhold, certain submissions (or portions thereof). Submitted comments may not be available to be read until the agency has approved them.