US market reopens for Spanish bell peppers

The US has resumed imports of Spanish bell pepper a year after banning their entry due to Mediterranean fruit fly. Almerian producer organisation Coexphal said the first shipments bound for the US left Spain on Wednesday.

In December 2022, The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (Aphis) closed its borders to pepper imports from Almería after detecting Mediterranean fruit fly in several consignments.

The decision to reopen the market follows a visit by US plant health authorities to Almería in September of last year to monitor control measures put in place to manage detections, including improvements in traceability and the impermeability of greenhouses and installation in more traps.

In 2022, Almería exported a total of 2,999 tonnes of fruits and vegetables to the US, representing 0.11% of its total export volume.