APHIS Coffee Importation into Hawaii and Puerto Rico
Current understanding
APHIS is proposing to amend its phytosanitary regulations governing the importation of coffee (green beans, plants, and related material) into Hawaii and Puerto Rico, shifting from codifying specific pest lists and country conditions in rule text to a notice-based administrative process with broader pest language. The stated aim is to let APHIS update import conditions more quickly as pest risks or origin countries change, while continuing to protect Hawaii’s and Puerto Rico’s domestic coffee industries from introduced pests such as coffee berry borer and coffee leaf rust. Effect on importers is procedural (faster changes, less regulatory predictability); effect on Hawaii/PR growers depends on how aggressively APHIS uses the new authority; consumer price impact is expected to be minor.