entry, PPQ will try to negotiate with 
foreign plant health authorities on 
behalf of the U.S. exporter. 
PPQ also helps to expand markets 
for U.S. farmers and exporters by 
engaging in bilateral or multilateral 
talks with foreign nations. For 
example, after several years of 
bilateral talks, PPQ reached 
agreement with Japanese officials 
who had previously prohibited the 
importation of such U.S. products 
as apples, cherries, nectarines, 
inshell peanuts, and walnuts. 
Convinced that USDA could 
mitigate any potential agricultural 
health threat and that the produce 
would be of high quality, Japan 
agreed to allow the importation of 
these products. PPQ participates 
in international plant health 
standards-setting with organiza- 
tions like the International Plant 
Protection Convention and the 
plant health bodies affiliated with 
the WTO. 
The EXCERPT data base provides extensive informa- 
tion on the phytosanitary requirements of other 
countries. 
(2a 
