Pest Risk Analysis for Sweet Potato Imports from South Korea

Content

ACTION:

Notice of availability.

SUMMARY:

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.

DATES:

We will consider all comments that we receive on or before May 12, 2026.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments by either of the following methods:

• FederaleRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov. Enter APHIS-2025-0013 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-2025-0013, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., #AP760,
Beltsville, MD 20705.

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, 1400 Independence
SW, Washington, DC 20250; (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. 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. [FR Doc. 2026-04922 Filed 3-12-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410-34-P

Footnotes

(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.

(2) This notice will not impact the current import authorization to Guam and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

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