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A Pest Risk Analysis by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health and Inspection Service (APHIS) has endorsed a protocol for the importation of rambutan from Malaysia and Vietnam.

Notification of the protocol was published in the US Federal Register on 15 December and the document is now open for submissions.

APHIS spokesperson Alyn Kiel told the Packer the protocol would involve irradiation, as is currently required for fruit imported from Thailand and Hawaii. He added that rambutan from Mexico and Central America do not need to be irradiated.

The USDA will begin issuing permits pending the results of the submission period.