BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2023-0067]
Notice of Availability of a Pest Risk Analysis for the Importation of Leaves and Stems of
Fresh Sage for Consumption From Ethiopia Into the Continental United States
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest risk analysis that
evaluates the risks associated with the importation of leaves and stems of fresh sage from
Ethiopia into the continental United States. 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 leaves
and stems of fresh sage from Ethiopia. We are making the pest risk analysis available to the
public for review and comment.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before [INSERT DATE 60
DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
•

Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov. Enter APHIS-2023-0067 in
the Search field. Select the Documents tab, then select the Comment button in the list of
documents.

•

Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS-20230067, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River
Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238.
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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Gina Stiltner, Senior Regulatory Policy
Specialist, Regulatory Coordination and Compliance, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133,
Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (518) 760-2468.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
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.
APHIS received a request from the national plant protection organization of Ethiopia to
allow the importation of leaves and stems of fresh sage (Salvia officinalis) from Ethiopia into the
continental United States. As part of our evaluation of Ethiopia’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 leaves and stems of fresh sage into the continental United States from
Ethiopia. Based on the pest risk assessment, a risk management document (RMD) was prepared
to identify phytosanitary measures that could be applied to the leaves and stems of fresh sage 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 leaves and stems
of fresh sage from Ethiopia, 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 leaves and stems of fresh sage from Ethiopia 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 the importation
of leaves and stems of fresh sage from Ethiopia into the continental 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 11th day of July 2024.

Donna Lalli,
Acting Administrator,
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 2024-15842 Filed: 7/17/2024 8:45 am; Publication Date: 7/18/2024]