(a) Pursuant to section 8e of the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, as amended, the importation into the United States of any kiwifruit is prohibited unless such kiwifruit meets all the requirements of a U.S. No. 1 grade as defined in the United States Standards for Grades of Kiwifruit (7 CFR 51.2335 through 51.2340), except that the kiwifruit shall be “not badly misshapen,” and an additional tolerance of 16 percent is provided for kiwifruit that is “badly misshapen,” and except that such kiwifruit shall have a minimum of 6.2 percent soluble solids. Such fruit shall be at least Size 45, which means there shall be a maximum of 55 pieces of fruit and the average weight of all samples in a specific lot must weigh at least 8 pounds (3.632 kilograms), provided that no individual sample may be less than 7 pounds 12 ounces (3.472 kilograms).

(b) The Federal or Federal-State Inspection Service, Fruit and Vegetable Division, Agricultural Marketing Service, United States Department of Agriculture, is designated as the governmental inspection service for certifying the quality and size of kiwifruit imported into the United States. Inspection by the Federal or Federal-State Inspection Service with evidence thereof in the form of an official inspection certificate, issued by the respective service, applicable to a particular shipment of kiwifruit, is required on all imports. The inspection and certification services will be available upon application in accordance with the rules and regulations governing the inspection and certification of fresh fruits, vegetables, and other products (7 CFR part 51) and in accordance with the procedure for requesting inspection and designating the agencies to perform required inspection and certification (7 CFR 944.400).

(c) The term importation means release from custody of the United States Customs Service. The term commercial processing into products means that the kiwifruit is physically altered in form or chemical composition through freezing, canning, dehydrating, pulping, juicing, or heating of the product. The act of slicing, dicing, or peeling shall not be considered commercial processing into products.

(d) Any lot or portion thereof which fails to meet the import requirements and is not being imported for purposes of consumption by charitable institutions, distribution by relief agencies, or commercial processing into products may be reconditioned or exported. Any failed lot which is not reconditioned or exported shall be disposed of under supervision of the Federal or Federal-State Inspection Service with the costs of certifying the disposal of said lot borne by the importer.

(e) Any person may import up to 200 pounds of kiwifruit in any one shipment exempt from the requirements of this section.

(f) The grade, size, quality, and maturity requirements of this section shall not be applicable to kiwifruit imported for consumption by charitable institutions, distribution by relief agencies, or commercial processing into products, but shall be subject to the safeguard provisions contained in § 944.350.