Import Federal Orders
A Federal Order is a legal document issued in response to an emergency when the Administrator of APHIS considers it necessary to take action to protect agriculture or prevent the entry and establishment into the United States of a pest or disease. Federal Orders are effective immediately and contain the specific regulatory requirements.
Federal Orders are effective immediately and contain the specific regulatory requirements. Plant Protection and Quarantine issues Federal Orders under the regulatory authority provided by the Plant Protection Act of June 20, 2000, as amended, Section 412(a), 7 U.S.C. 7712(a), which authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to prohibit or restrict the importation or entry of any plant, plant part, or article if the Secretary determines that the prohibition or restriction is necessary to prevent the introduction or dissemination of a plant pest into or within the United States. Federal Orders will remain in effect until they are revised by another Federal Order or until a regulatory action (rule or notice) on the subject is published.
Under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), “rulemaking” requires the publication of a proposed and final rules. The “Notice” process exempted from the APA. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of PPQ Federal Orders. PPQ's Emergency and Domestic Programs also issues Federal Orders to prohibit or restrict interstate movement. Federal Orders for emergency and domestic programs are posted on the APHIS site under the specific plant pest or disease program to which the Federal Order pertains. You can find a list of those programs at the Plant Pest Program Information homepage.