The affected cargo was radiated in Mumbai on May 8 and 9 but was turned away at airports including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Atlanta ET. U.S. authorities cite differences in documents related to the irradiation process, which mandatory treatment exposes the fruit to controlled doses of radiation to eliminate pests and extends shelf life. Therefore, according to the exporter, this is not the existence of pests, but the paperwork of the pest control protocol that causes the problem.
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The two exporters expressed concerns about the refusal, without anonymity.
“Error in Irradiation Facility”
They noted that the radiation process was conducted at a facility in Navi Mumbai under the supervision of USDA officials. The official is responsible for the certification of the PPQ203 form, a mandatory document that binds Mango in the United States. “We are punished for mistakes we make in radiation facilities,” one exporter said.
Given the perishable nature of mangoes and the cost of destroying or re-exporting, exporters estimate potential losses of approximately $500,000. The USDA sent a notice to one of the affected exporters and was reviewed by ET, saying that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection rejected entry of the cargo due to the incorrect issuance of PPQ203. The notice further directed that the consigned goods “must be re-exported or destroyed”, adding that the U.S. government will not seek “remedies for that freight.”
Another exporter, who was originally held at the Los Angeles airport on weekends (May 9-11), was then ordered to destroy the box, and was told that the consignment of goods did not meet the “entry requirements”, specifically the order’s radiation treatment.
The exporter strongly refuted the claim, pointing out that the radiation process has indeed been completed and that the PPQ203 form is released only after the procedure. “How can we receive the form if treatment has never been completed? Without that form, mangoes can’t even be loaded at Mumbai Airport except for USDA officials,” he said.
Ask for details of the incident – including the number of affected mangoes and details of document errors – The Office of the Chairman of the Agricultural and Processed Food Administration (APEDA) said: “This matter involves the transportation of mangoes approved by the USDA, Mayai May aumbai, Mummai”’ of the Maharashtra State Marketing Board (MSAMB (MSAMB)
Apeda is a department of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. MSAMB did not respond to email inquiries.
