Orange, Mandarin, Tangerine, Clementine, Lemon, Grapefruit, Lime, Tangelo, Tangor

Country
United States of America (US)
Scientific Name
Citrus spp.
Group
Fruit
End use
Fresh
NPPO Details
Plant Protection and Quarantine, Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Relevant Web Addresses
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/home/
Criteria Criteria Required?
Import Permit Yes
Phytosanitary Certificate Yes
Additional Declaration/Endorsement Yes
Protocol Market Yes
This is a protocol market, work plans are available through MICoR Plants in the Documents section. Access is restricted and requires a logon.

Consignments are to be free from pests, soil, weed seeds and extraneous material.


This importing country requirement (ICR) applies to the following species only:
  • Orange (Citrus sinensis)
  • Lemon (Citrus limon)
  • Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi)

  • Tangelo (Citrus paradisi x Citrus reticulata, Citrus tangelo)
  • Tangor (Citrus nobilis, Citrus reticulata x Citrus sinensis)
  • Tangerine/Mandarin/Clementine (Citrus reticulata cv.)
  • Lime (Citrus aurantiifolia, Citrus latifolia)

A copy of the import permit must be presented to an Authorised Officer at the time of inspection.

Where applicable, the exporter is to provide evidence attesting to the endorsement and present it to the Authorised Officer at the time of inspection.

Note: 

  • Consignments undergoing in-transit cold treatment must be composed entirely of a single species of citrus in a single type of packaging. For example, a consignment consisting of Citrus sinensis and Citrus paradisi is not permitted. Varieties within a species may be treated together, for instance Washington Navel and Valencia oranges of the species Citrus sinensis may be treated together.
  • All citrus fruit exported to the United States of America must be sourced from one of the approved regions of the Riverland, Riverina or Sunraysia. An explanation of the regions is below. Citrus exports from other regions are not permitted.
  • Fruit sourced from more than one approved regions must be split across separate lines on the RFP, and the relevant endorsement applied per line. 
  • The registered packhouse number/s must be entered into the 'shipping marks' section of the EXDOC Request for Permit (RFP) and in the example format of: PACKHOUSE NO: XXXX.
  • For sea freight shipments, both the container and seal numbers must be recorded on the phytosanitary certificate.

Consignments undergoing in-transit cold treatment to the USA must be lodged in the USDA Commodity Treatment Information System (CTIS or CTIS-M) by the department prior to arrival. Exporters must contact Assessment Services Exports PlantExportsNDH@aff.gov.au to request CTIS-M processing. This can be requested after RFP authorisation but must be completed at least 2 days prior to vessel arrival at a port in the US. 

Exporters must advise the department at the time of authorisation if transhipment via an additional country or vessel change will occur en route to the USA or its territories.

Please use the email subject format:
Email subject: RFP xxxxxxxx [Container number] USDA CTIS-M  ITCT processing request - CTIS-M – [Vessel name] [Voyage]

Include:

  • Container:
  • Vessel Name:
  • Date of Departure:
  • ETA:
  • USDA Territory Port of Arrival:
  • Transhipment details (if relevant):

Exporters are also responsible for ensuring shipping lines are aware of their obligations. Shipping lines must send a weekly 'pre-alert/vessel summary report' to PlantExportsNDH@aff.gov.au. This summary report must include the estimated date of vessel arrival and container details.

Explanation of fruit fly pest free areas (PFAs)

The following areas are recognised as pest free areas for Queensland fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni) and Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata):

 Exporters sourcing fruit from the Riverland must present a State government certificate at the time of inspection which states all fruit was sourced from properties outside the suspension areas.

The Riverland includes (but is not limited to) the towns/suburbs of:

  • Berri
  • Bookpurnong
  • Cadell
  • Cooltong
  • Glossop
  • Lindsay Point
  • Loxton
  • Lyrup
  • Murtho
  • New Residence
  • Nildottie
  • Paringa
  • Ramco/Ramco Heights
  • Renmark/Renmark West/Renmark North
  • Sunlands
  • Taylorville
  • Waikerie
  • Winkie

Non-fruit fly pest free areas (non-PFAs)

Riverina district of New South Wales, defined as the shire of Carrathool; and the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, which is within the administrative boundaries of the city of Griffith and the shires of Leeton, Narrandera, and Murrumbidgee.

Including (but not limited to) the towns/suburbs of:

  • Beelbangera
  • Carrathool
  • Corbie Hill
  • Cudgel
  • Darlington Point
  • Griffith
  • Hanwood
  • Hillston
  • Leeton
  • Narrandera
  • Stanbridge
  • Tharbogang
  • Wamoon
  • Whitton
  • Yanco

Sunraysia district, defined as the shires of Wentworth and Balranald in New South Wales and the shires of Mildura, Swan Hill, Wakool, and Kerang, the cities of Mildura and Swan Hill, and the borough of Kerang in Victoria.

Including (but not limited to) the towns/suburbs of:

  • Balranald
  • Barham
  • Boundary Bend
  • Buronga/Mourquong
  • Colignan
  • Coomealla
  • Curlwaa
  • Dareton
  • Ellerslie
  • Euston
  • Gol Gol/Gol Gol North
  • Iraak
  • Irymple
  • Merbein
  • Mildura
  • Monak
  • Nangiloc
  • Red Cliffs
  • Robinvale
  • Swan Hill
  • Tooleybuc
  • Wakool
  • Wentworth
  • Woorinen

Explanation of the endorsements

Endorsement No 1887:
Applies to product from the Riverland districts - PFAs (excluding suspension area/s).

Endorsement No 1886:
Applies to product from the Riverina districts subject to in-transit cold treatment.

Endorsement No 1885:
Applies to product from the Sunraysia districts subject to ITCT.

Endorsement 3128:
Applies to product from zones in the Riverland that are not PFAs and require in-transit cold treatment.

Exporter to provide evidence attesting to the treatment and to present to the Authorised Officer at the time of inspection.

In-transit cold treatment

In-transit cold treatment against quarantine fruit flies is mandatory for oranges, tangerines, clementines, mandarins, tangelos, tangors, lemons and grapefruit exported from non-PFA districts of Australia.

Note: no in-transit cold treatment pathway is available for limes.

An authorised officer must be appropriately trained, deemed competent and appointed by the department for the job functions HEP4001:1 and TRE3001:1 which includes the USDA training for the supervision of container loading to the USA.

Cold treatment schedules:

For fruit originating from areas that are not free from Queensland fruit fly, the following treatment schedules apply

Fruit Type
Fruit pulp temperature
Exposure period (consecutive days)
Oranges, Tangerines, Clementines, Mandarins, Tangelos and Tangors
0 °C or below
13
0.56 °C or below
14
3.0 °C or below
16
Lemons and Grapefruit
3.0 °C or below
14

For fruit originating from areas that are not free from Mediterranean fruit fly, the following treatment schedules apply.

Note: There are currently no Mediterranean fruit fly outbreaks in the permitted regions of Sunraysia, Riverina and Riverland. All fruit must therefore be treated against Queensland fruit fly.

 Fruit type
Fruit pulp temperatureExposure period (consecutive days)
Oranges and Tangors3.0 °C or below20
Lemons

2.0 °C or below16
3.0 °C or below18
Grapefruit, Tangerines and Clementines 1.11 °C or below14
1.67 °C or below16
2.22 °C or below18
Mandarins and Tangelos 1.11 °C or below15
1.67 °C or below
17

Option 1 (EXDOC Endorsement 1887)
1) The citrus fruit was produced in the Riverland District in accordance with the conditions governing the entry of citrus from Australia,
2) Fruit was grown and packed in an area free of economically important fruit flies,
3) The fruit in this shipment was subject to appropriate phytosanitary measures to ensure that the shipment is free of Light brown apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana).
 
Option 2 (EXDOC Endorsement 1886)
1) The citrus fruit was produced in the Riverina District in accordance with the conditions governing the entry of citrus from Australia,
2) Subject to in-transit cold treatment,
3) The fruit in this shipment was subject to appropriate phytosanitary measures to ensure that the shipment is free of Light brown apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana).
 
Option 3 (EXDOC Endorsement 1885)
1) The citrus fruit was produced in the Sunraysia District in accordance with the conditions governing the entry of citrus from Australia,
2) Subject to in-transit cold treatment,
3) The fruit in this shipment was subject to appropriate phytosanitary measures to ensure that the shipment is free of Light brown apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana).
 
Option 4 (EXDOC Endorsement 3128)
1) The citrus fruit was produced in the Riverland District in accordance with the conditions governing the entry of citrus from Australia,
2) Subject to in-transit cold treatment,
3) The fruit in this shipment was subject to appropriate phytosanitary measures to ensure that the shipment is free of Light brown apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana).
USDA Treatment Manual 2016
29/05/2026 - Updated General requirements - details of US ITCT processing system.
25/07/2024 - Updated cold treatment schedule.
22/07/2024 - Updated general requirements to include additional information on approved regions.
28/06/2023 - Updated general requirements to include information about PPQ 556 processes.
17/06/2022 - Update to general requirements - mixed species treatment requirements.
25/01/2021 - Update to import requirements - update to text related to fruit fly outbreak.
Initial Uploaded: 29/07/2014
Reviewed Uploaded: 18/07/2026