U.S. Pest Rules for Tomato Imports - USDA FAS

U.S. Pest Rules for Tomato Imports - USDA FAS

Tomatoes coming into Canada from countries known to have pest problems with tomato leafminer, a small moth that mainly attacks tomato crops, now need a temporary phytosanitary certificate declaring that the tomatoes originated in an area where tomato leafminer doesn't occur and that they were inspected and found free of the moth. While the moth can "severely" damage tomato crops in many countries, it can't survive Canadian winters. It can, however, pose a risk for hothouse tomato crops and for export trade with the United States. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is enforcing these temporary requirements until permanent measures are developed. The decision to implement the certification requirement follows new import requirements in the United States, under which tomatoes imported to Canada from countries infested with tomato leafminer will not be allowed into the United States without first meeting additional import requirements. The United States requires additional certification for tomatoes coming from Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Netherlands, Paraguay, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, Uruguay or Venezuela.