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What U.S. import controls apply to fruits and vegetables?
Bringing fruits and vegetables can be complicated. For instance, consider the apple you bought in the foreign airport just before boarding and then did not eat? Whether or not CBP will allow the apple into the United States depends on where you got it and where you are going after you arrive in the United States. The same would be true for those magnificent Mediterranean tomatoes. Fresh fruits and vegetables can carry plant pests or diseases into the United States. One good example of problems imported fruits and vegetables can cause is the Mediterranean fruit fly outbreak during the 1980s, The outbreak cost the state of California and the Federal Government approximately $100 million to get rid of this pest. The cause of the outbreak was one traveler who brought home one contaminated piece of fruit. It is best not to bring fresh fruits or vegetables into the United States. However, if you plan to, contact either CBP or check the Travelers Information section on the USDA-APHIS web site ( APHIS ) for a general approved list on items that need a permit.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), USDA,
http://www.aphis.usda.gov
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