Ports approved for cold storage pilot program
Port Canaveral in Florida and Port NOLA in Louisiana have been named official participants in the Southeast U.S. In-transit Cold Treatment Pilot Program by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS). This pilot designation allows entry of in-transit, cold treated containers of agricultural products originating in South America.
The following commodities are included in this pilot:
- Blueberries, citrus, and grapes from Peru
- Blueberries and grapes from Uruguay, and
- Blueberries, apples, and pears from Argentina.
The USDA In-transit Cold Treatment Program allows direct import into southeastern U.S. ports of certain types of fruits and vegetables from South America, among other countries. Prior to this program, refrigerated cargo had to flow through specialized treatment facilities in the northeast U.S. to be cleared for distribution.
USDA’s In-transit Cold Treatment Program enables a limited number of containerized cargoes to enter the Florida market directly after completing a two-week cold treatment process as a safeguard against fruit flies and other pests, as well as acquiring all the required unloading clearances prior to the shipment’s arrival in port.
