WASHINGTON – U.S. Customs and Border Protection will increase inspections on imported tomato and pepper fruit, seed lots and transplants entering at all U.S. ports of entry on Friday to prevent the introduction of tomato brown rugose fruit virus and protect U.S. tomato and pepper production worth more than $2.3 billion annually.
The increased inspections come following a Federal Order by the U.S Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service last week which imposes restrictions on imports of tomato and pepper seed lots and transplants from all countries where the virus exists as well as restrictions on tomato and ...