Apples from Pacific Northwest states of the USA

We have completed the risk analysis for fresh apples (Malus domestica) from the Pacific Northwest states of the USA (PNW-USA). We will now verify that the USA can meet the risk management measures.

When we do a risk analysis, we:

• review the science on pests and diseases of concern
• assess and analyse biosecurity risks
• develop proposed risk management measures, if required
• consult the public on the draft report and then review comments
• publish the final report
• verify that the country can meet the recommended risk management measures
• develop import conditions
• publish import conditions in our Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON).

About the risk analysis

We initiated this risk analysis because the USA requested market access for fresh apples from the Pacific Northwest states of Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Learn more about why we carry out risk analyses and our international obligations.

This risk analysis was conducted as a review of biosecurity import requirements. This is because we conducted an assessment of the potential quarantine pests associated with apples from PNW-USA and found that:

• the pests of concern are the same, or of the same pest groups, as those pests that have been assessed previously for other horticultural goods
• there are appropriate risk management measures already established for these pests or pest groups.

Final report

Summary of the final report

We released the final report on 31 October 2022.

We recommend that the import of commercially produced fresh apples from PNW-USA be permitted provided they meet the biosecurity import conditions. All imports must come from commercial production areas of PNW-USA.

Pests

Twenty quarantine pests associated with apples are present in PNW-USA, and need risk management measures to reduce the risk to an acceptable level. These pests are:

• fruit fly: apple maggot (Rhagoletis pomonella)
• mites: flat scarlet mite (Cenopalpus pulcher) and McDaniel spider mite (Tetranychus mcdanieli)
• thrips: eastern flower thrips (Frankliniella tritici) and western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis)
• mealybugs: apple mealybug (Phenacoccus aceris) and grape mealybug (Pseudococcus maritimus)
• leafroller and fruit moths: codling moth (Cydia pomonella), European leafroller (Archips rosana), fruit tree leafroller (Archips argyrospila), large fruit tree tortrix (Archips podana), oblique-banded leafroller (Choristoneura rosaceana), orange tortrix (Argyrotaenia franciscana) and Pandemis leafroller (Pandemis pyrusana)
• fungi: apple blotch (Phyllosticta arbutifolia), Gymnosporangiumrusts (Gymnosporangium clavipes, G. juniperi-virginianae and G. libocedri), speck rot (Phacidiopycnis washingtonensis) and Sphaeropsis rot (Sphaeropsis pyriputrescens).

The recommended risk management measures take into account regional differences in pest distribution within Australia. One of the arthropod pests requiring risk management measures, Frankliniella occidentalis, has been identified as a regional quarantine pest for the Northern Territory and Cydia pomonella has been identified as a regional quarantine pest for Western Australia.

Frankliniella occidentalis was also assessed as a regulated article for all of Australia as it is capable of harbouring and spreading (vectoring) emerging orthotospoviruses that are quarantine pests for Australia.

Risk management measures

We recommend a range of measures to reduce the risk of these pests arriving in Australia via the apple pathway:

• for mites, mealybugs and thrips
  • pre-export visual inspection and, if found, remedial action
• for apple maggot
  • pest free areas, pest free places of production or pest free production sites, or
  • an appropriate pre-export phytosanitary treatment approved by the department
• for leafrollers
  • in-field controls, and pre-export inspection, and if found, remedial action, or
  • an appropriate pre-export phytosanitary treatment (such as methyl bromide fumigation) approved by the department
• for codling moth
  • pest free areas, pest free places of production or pest free production sites, or
  • systems approach approved by the department, or
  • an appropriate pre-export phytosanitary treatment (such as methyl bromide fumigation) approved by the department
• for Gymnosporangium rusts
  • pre-export visual inspection and, if found, remedial action
• for Sphaeropsis rot, speck rot and apple blotch
  • systems approach approved by the department.

The unrestricted risk estimate (URE) for 3 pests, apple leafcurling midge (Dasineura mali), fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) and European canker (Neonectria ditissima), achieved the ALOP for Australia, taking into consideration commercial production practices already in place in PNW-USA. Specific commercial production practices are therefore recommended to be mandatory for these 3 pests. These commercial production practices include:

• for apple leafcurling midge
  • in-field monitoring and controls, packing house procedures including sorting, grading and packing house sanitation, and pre-export visual inspection and, if found, remedial action
• for fire blight
  • in-field monitoring and controls, fruit maturity testing, packing house sanitation, and pre-export visual inspection and, if found, remedial action
• for European canker
  • in-field monitoring and controls, packing house sanitation, and pre-export visual inspection and, if found, remedial action.

Your feedback on the draft report

We received submissions on the draft report from 62 stakeholders. We have made a number of changes to the report following consideration of stakeholder comments and subsequent review of the literature. These changes include:

• minor amendments to Chapter 3 to enhance clarity on commercial production and pest management practices
• amendments to Chapter 4 ‘Pest risk assessments for quarantine pests’
  • The likelihood of importation for Cenopalpus pulcher in Section 4.1, Tetranychus mcdanieli in Section 4.2, and Grapholita molesta, Grapholita prunivora and Grapholita packardi in Section 4.12 have been assessed specifically for PNW-USA apples, instead of adopting from the existing policies. For C. pulcher, the URE of Low, which does not achieve the ALOP for Australia, has not changed. For T. mcdanieli, the URE has changed from Very Low, which achieves the ALOP for Australia, to Low, which does not achieve the ALOP for Australia. For G. prunivora and G. packardi, the URE has changed from Low, which does not achieve the ALOP for Australia, to Very Low, which achieves the ALOP for Australia. For G. molesta, the URE of Very Low, which achieves the ALOP for Australia, has not changed.
  • The typing error for the likelihood of importation for Argyresthia conjugella (apple fruit moth) in Section 4.13 has been amended from Very Low to Low. Subsequently, the likelihood of entry has been amended from Very Low to Low, and the likelihood of entry, establishment and spread has also been amended from Very Low to Low. However, these changes have not resulted in a change in URE of Very Low for this pest.
  • For Coprinopsis psychromorbida the likelihood of spread in Section 4.16 was re-assessed and the rating changed from Low to Moderate. The URE of Negligible for Coprinopsis psychromorbida has not changed, which achieves the ALOP for Australia.
  • Neofabraea perennans has been removed from the risk assessment at Section 4.19 as it is considered to be present in Australia and is not under official control.
  • The risk assessment for Parlatoria pergandii in Section 4.6 has been updated to incorporate components of the Final group pest risk analysis for soft and hard scale insects on fresh fruit, vegetable, cut-flower and foliage imports (scales Group PRA) (DAWE 2021).
  • Where relevant, references have been updated, new references have been added and changes have been made to the likelihood assessments of importation, distribution, establishment and/or spread, and the potential consequence assessments.
• amendments to Appendix A ‘Initiation and categorisation for pests of apple fruit from the Pacific Northwest states of the USA’ to include additional information and references
  • Lambertella corni-maris, Apple hammerhead viroid, Apple rubbery wood virus 1, Apple rubbery wood virus 2 and Citrus concave gum-associated virus have been added.
  • Status of Neofabraea perennans in Australia has been updated to reflect that it is present in Australia (and is not under official control).
  • Status of Conotrachelus nenuphar (plum curculio) has been updated to clarify its absence from the PNW-USA.
  • Status of Aculus malivagrans (synonym Vasates malivagrans) has been updated as present in the PNW-USA and Australia.
• addition of Appendix B ‘Issues raised in stakeholder comments’, which summarises the key technical issues raised by stakeholders, and how the issues were considered by the department in this final report
• minor corrections, rewording and editorial changes for consistency, accuracy, clarity and web-accessibility
• updates to weblinks to cited references where appropriate.

Download submissions on the draft report

Available until October 2023.

Download

Download final report

Download draft report

We released the draft report on 23 October 2020 for a 90-calendar day public consultation period, which closed on 21 January 2021.

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, October 2020.

Available until October 2023.

Announcement

More information about this risk analysis is available in the announcement information paper.

Download announcement information paper

Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, November 2018.

Available until October 2023.

Trade

Australia-USA trade

The USA is Australia’s second largest trading partner with two-way trade in goods and services totalling $67.7 billion in 2020–21.

In 2020–21, Australia imported approximately $2.4 billion of agricultural products from the USA and exported approximately $4.2 billion in agricultural products to the USA.

Apple industry in the USA

The USA is one of the top 3 largest apple producers in the world. The USA has over 26,000 apple growers who collectively produce an average of 5 million tonnes of apples a year, valued at $4.7 billion. The PNW states of Idaho, Oregon and Washington account for approximately 65% of total USA apple production and exports.

Apples are harvested between August and November.

The main varieties grown are Red Delicious, Gala, Granny Smith, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Cripps Pink/Pink Lady® and Empire.

Apple industry in Australia

• Australia produced 280,273 tonnes of apples in 2020-21, valued at almost $620 million.
• Apples are grown in all states of Australia. Victoria is the main producer, accounting for 46% of national production, followed by New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.
• Peak harvesting occurs between February and May.
• Commercial varieties grown in Australia include Pink Lady, Gala, Granny Smith and Sundowner.

Next steps

Before imports can commence, we will:

1. Verify that the USA can meet our specified import conditions.
2. Publish import conditions on the Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON).
3. Issue import permits to importers who meet the import conditions.

The decision to commence imports will be a commercial decision between an exporter in PNW-USA and an importer in Australia. The importer must meet the import conditions as set out in BICON.

The decision to commence imports will be a commercial decision between an exporter in  PNW-USA and an importer in Australia. The importer must meet the import conditions as set out in BICON.

Keep informed

Register as a stakeholder

Subscribe to Biosecurity Risk Analysis Plant to receive Biosecurity Advices and other notifications relating to plant biosecurity policy.

Contact us

For more information, email imports or phone 1800 900 090 (option 1, option 1).