Act or Export Grape and Plum Act means “An Act to promote the foreign trade of the United States in grapes and plums, to protect the reputation of American-grown grapes and plums in foreign markets, to prevent deception or misrepresentation as to the quality of such products moving in foreign commerce, to provide for the commercial inspection of such products entering such commerce, and for other purposes” (74 Stat. 734; 75 Stat. 220; 7 U.S.C. 591-599).

Person means an individual, partnership, association, corporation, or any other business unit.

Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture of the United States or any officer or employee of the United States Department of Agriculture to whom authority has heretofore been delegated or to whom authority may hereafter be delegated to act in his stead.

Carrier means any common or private carrier, including, but not being limited to, trucks, rail, airplanes, vessels, tramp or chartered steamers, whether carrying for hire or otherwise.

Package means any container of any variety of vinifera species table grapes.

Shipment means one or more lots of any variety of vinifera species table grapes shipped or offered for shipment by any one person in a single conveyance to a foreign country regardless of the number of consignees, receivers, or ports of destination in that country.

Certificate or Certificate of Inspection means any of the official forms of inspection certificate, bearing the statement “meets Export Grape and Plum Act,” issued by the Federal or Federal-State Inspection Service in accordance with regulations governing the inspection of fresh fruits, vegetables, and other products (7 CFR part 51).

Date of export means the date of loading on board the exporting carrier on which movement of the grapes from the United States is effected. The date of the on board bill of lading (or loading tally sheet) shall be considered to be the date the grapes were loaded on board, unless an “on board” date is shown.

No person shall ship, or offer for shipment, and no carrier shall transport, or receive for transportation, any shipment of any variety of vinifera species table grapes unless such grapes meet the following quality and container marking requirements applicable to the variety and destination specified:

(a) Any such variety for export to destinations in Japan, Europe (defined to mean the following countries: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Herzegovina, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Wales), or Greenland shall meet each applicable minimum requirement of the U.S. Fancy Table grape grade as specified in the U.S. Standards for Grades of Table Grapes (European or Vinifera Type) (§§ 51.880-51.912 of this title). The Black Corinth variety shall be exempt from bunch and berry size requirements.

(b) Any such variety for export to any foreign destination, other than destinations in Japan, Europe, Greenland, Canada, or Mexico, shall meet each applicable minimum requirement of the U.S. No. 1 Table grape grade as specified in the U.S. Standards for Grades of Table Grapes (European or Vinifera Type) (§§ 51.880-51.912 of this title), except that an additional 2 percent tolerance for sealed berry cracks on the Ribier variety is allowed. The Black Corinth variety shall be exempt from bunch and berry size requirements.

(c) Each package of any such variety, other than those in packages of 5 pounds or less in master containers, to any destination other than in Canada or Mexico shall be plainly and conspicuously marked with the name and address of the grower or packer, the variety, and the applicable inspection lot stamp number, except that when the packages are unitized, the requirement as to inspection lot stamp marking shall be deemed as met if the exposed box ends on one end of the unit are so marked.

(a) Each person shipping or offering for shipment any variety of vinifera species table grapes, to any foreign destination other than destinations in Canada or Mexico, shall cause them to be inspected within 14 days prior to date of export by the Federal or Federal-State Inspection Service in accordance with regulations governing the inspection and certification of fresh fruits, vegetables, and other products (part 51 of this chapter) and certified as meeting the requirements of the act and this part.

(b) The Federal or Federal-State certificate shall be designated as an “Export Form Certificate” and shall include one of the following statements as applicable:

(1) For any variety meeting specifications of paragraph (a) of § 35.11 “Meets requirements of Export Grape and Plum Act” or (2) For any variety meeting specifications of paragraph (b) of § 35.11 “Meets requirements of Export Grape and Plum Act except for export to destinations in Europe, Greenland, or Japan.” No carrier shall transport or receive for transportation any such variety to any foreign destination other than Canada or Mexico unless a copy of the certificate of inspection issued thereon showing that the grapes meet requirements for the applicable export destination is surrendered to such carrier when such variety is so received. The shipper shall deliver a copy of such certificate covering the shipment to the export carrier. Such grapes may be inspected at points other than port of exportation. Whenever such grapes are inspected and certified at any point other than port of exportation, the shipper shall deliver a copy of such certificate to the agent of the first carrier that thereafter transports such grapes and such agent shall deliver such copy to the proper official of the carrier on which the grapes are to be exported.

(c) A copy of the Certificate of Inspection shall be filed by the export carrier for a period of not less than three (3) years following date of export.

(d) Persons exporting grapes under the provisions of section 2 of the Act shall first submit to the Federal or Federal-State Inspection Service a certification in duplicate stating the names and addresses of the contracting parties, the date of contract, the quantity of grapes to be delivered, the U.S. grade specified, the expected date of shipment, and the name and address of the export carrier. The certificate of inspection shall indicate that the grapes are eligible for export under section 2 of the Act.

(e) If the inspector has reason to believe that samples of a lot of any variety of vinifera species table grapes have been obtained for a determination as to compliance with tolerance for spray residue, established under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, as amended (52 Stat. 1040; 21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.), he shall not issue a certificate on the lot unless it complies with such tolerances.

Any person may, without regard to the provisions of this part, ship or offer for shipment, and any carrier may, without regard to the provisions of this part, transport or receive for transportation to any foreign destination, a shipment of 25 packages or less of vinifera species table grapes, either a single variety or a combination of two or more varieties, not exceeding 1,250 pounds gross weight.

If the Secretary is considering withholding the issuance of certificates under the Act for a period of not exceeding 90 days to any person who ships, or offers for shipment, any variety of vinifera species table grapes to any foreign destination in violation of any provisions of the Act or this part, he shall cause notice to be given to the person accused of the nature of the charges against him and of the specific instances in which violation of the Act or the regulations in this part is charged.

The person accused shall be entitled to a hearing, provided he makes written request therefor and files a written responsive answer to the charges made not later than 10 days after service of such notice upon him. The right to hearing shall be restricted to matters in issue. At such hearing, he shall have the right to be present in person or by counsel and to submit evidence and argument in his behalf. Failure to request a hearing within the specified time or failure to appear at the hearing when scheduled shall be deemed a waiver of the right to hearing. Such person may, in lieu of requesting an oral hearing, file a sworn written statement with the Secretary not later than 10 days after service of such notice upon him.

Any order to withhold the issuance of a certificate, as provided in section 6 of the Act, will be effective from the date specified in the order but no earlier than the date of its service upon the person found to have been guilty. Such order will state the inclusive dates during which it is to remain in effect, and during this period no inspector employed or licensed by the Secretary shall issue any Certificate of Inspection to such person.

Service of any notice or order required by the Act or prescribed by the regulations in this part shall be deemed sufficient if made personally upon the person served, by registered mail, or by leaving a copy of such notice or order with an employee or agent at such person's usual place of business or abode or with any member of his immediate family at his place of abode. If the person named is a partnership, association, or corporation, service may similarly be made by service on any member of the partnership or any officer, employee, or agent of the association or corporation.

The information collection requirements contained in this part have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the provisions of 44 U.S.C. chapter 35 and have been assigned OMB control number 0581-0143.