WASHINGTON — Starting this weekend, on Feb. 1, U.S. Customs and Border Protection will increase inspection rates on Canadian-grown fruits and veggies entering the U.S.

This action results from an Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) interim rule which lifted the inspection exemption for Canadian products imported from Canada effective March 1, 2007.

"To enforce the APHIS regulation, CBP has steadily increased the inspection rate of Canadian-grown fruits and vegetables since 2007," said CBP Office of Field Operations Assistant Commissioner Thomas Winkowski. “The inspection protocol is automated, and may cause a noticeable increase in the hold and inspection rate of Canadian-grown fruits and vegetables.”

The removal of the inspection exemption from commercial shipments entering the United States from Canada is necessary to prevent the introduction of plant pests and diseases into the United States via conventional pathways or through bioterrorism, CBP says.

For more information on agriculture inspection requirements for Canada, visit the APHIS Web site by clicking here.