way in which APHIS 
is working to build 
bridges with foreign 
countries to bring 
new and healthy 
plants and plant 
products to the 
United States. 
f, 
Preclearance is one 
of foreign countries on issues of foreign 
plant quarantine laws and regulations. The 
team is instrumental in resolving questions 
that could to lead to misunderstandings or 
ambiguity. Members of the PIM team often 
travel to foreign countries to resolve trade 
disputes or clarify regulations that could 
impact market opportunities for U.S. 
exports. It’s also the job of the PIM team to 
provide leadership on biotechnology stan- 
dards development and international harmo- 
nizations of plant biotechnology regulatory 
issues that affect trade. 
By ensuring appropriate U.S. representation 
and participation in regional and global phy- 
tosanitary organizations and in the develop- 
ment of policies and standards, the PIM team 
is protecting the future of U.S. agriculture 
and promoting new opportunities for trade. 
Preclearance 
Preclearance is one way in which APHIS is 
working to build bridges with foreign coun- 
tries to bring new and healthy plants and 
plant products to the United States. 
Preclearance is the inspection and treatment 
of foreign agricultural commodities prior to 
export to prevent harmful exotic pests and 
diseases from being transported to the 
United States. The goal of preclearance pro- 
grams is to intercept these destructive pests 
in their native land, thereby avoiding costly 
eradication programs at the destination 
point. In addition, preclearance programs 
expedite the clearance process, are cost effec- 
tive for exporters, and reduce the workload 
at ports of entry. 
4 Protecting Plant Health in a Global Environment 
APHIS operates permanent preclearance 
programs in South America, Europe, Asia, 
Africa, and the Caribbean. Chile lays claim to 
the world’s largest preclearance program, 
followed by Mexico and the Netherlands. 
Worldwide, APHIS oversees the preclearance 
of more than 150 agricultural commodities. 
Produce as diverse as tulip bulbs and man- 
goes are inspected and/or treated under this 
initiative. Highly skilled employees from 
PPQ and APHIS’ International Services unit 
are detailed to some international locations 
year-round and to others just during harvest 
and shipping seasons. These workers certify 
that commodities are pest and disease free 
on the basis of inspection and/or treatment 
prior to arrival in the United States. 
The type of preclearance program estab- 
lished in each country depends on the com- 
modities that will be exported to the United 
States, as well as pest and disease concerns 
associated with the commodity. Some agri- 
cultural commodities require only inspec- 
tion prior to export to the United States. 
Other commodities, however, require treat- 
ment before they can be cleared for entry 
into the United States. The most common 
types of preclearance treatment include hot- 
water immersion, cold treatment, and fumi- 
gation. All are effective in killing different 
pests and diseases. 
Hot-water treatment involves submerging 
fruit in hot water for varying lengths of time 
and is effective in killing fruit-fly larvae. Cold 
treatment often lasts several days and uses 
near-freezing temperatures to kill quaran- 
tine pests. Cold treatment often occurs while 
the agricultural commodity is already on its 
way to the United States. For fumigation, 
commodities are placed in an enclosed area 
and treated with chemicals. The chemical 
used depends on the commodity and the 
quarantine pest of concern. 
