Exporting Fresh Blueberries from Peru to the United States: Requirements for Production Projects

Official sources reviewed 2026-10-23. Orientation only, not legal advice.

Short answer

Peruvian blueberries need a phytosanitary certificate from SENASA and must meet USDA APHIS entry conditions, which are published in the APHIS ACIR database. APHIS has authorised cold treatment or methyl-bromide fumigation against fruit flies, and irradiation as an alternative, but confirm the current conditions in ACIR. Covered farms must also meet the FDA Produce Safety Rule, and residues must stay within EPA tolerances. A production project should plan pre-cooling and cold-chain capacity, agricultural-water assessments and packhouse hygiene from the start.

Official requirements

Each line names the authority, jurisdiction and the date of the source read.

Topic	Requirement	Authority · source
Entry conditions database	APHIS publishes commodity import conditions, treatments and permits in ACIR (Agricultural Commodity Import Requirements), which replaced FAVIR on 30 September 2022.	USDA APHISUnited States · Live database; FAVIR replaced 30 Sep 2022
Fruit-fly treatment options	An APHIS notice of 13 March 2018 states that blueberries from Peru required cold treatment or methyl-bromide fumigation against Anastrepha fraterculus and Ceratitis capitata, and added irradiation at 150 Gy at approved US facilities as an alternative. This is historical; current options must be read in ACIR.	USDA APHISUnited States · 13 Mar 2018
Produce Safety Rule	Covered farms supplying the US must meet 21 CFR Part 112 for growing, harvesting, packing and holding, subject to exemptions and farm-size rules.	US FDAUnited States · Final rule effective 26 Jan 2016
Pre-harvest agricultural water	The 2024 final rule replaces earlier microbial testing criteria for pre-harvest water with systems-based water assessments. Compliance dates are phased by business size across 2025–2027.	US FDAUnited States · Page updated 30 Sep 2025
Foreign Supplier Verification Program	The US importer performs risk-based verification of the foreign supplier under 21 CFR Part 1 Subpart L. It is an importer obligation, not a certificate the grower holds.	US FDAUnited States · Final rule effective 26 Jan 2016
Pesticide tolerances	EPA tolerances and exemptions in 40 CFR Part 180 apply per active substance and crop group. The live eCFR text is the current reference.	US EPAUnited States · Live eCFR, read 23 Oct 2026
Grade standard	The US Standards for Grades of Blueberries (§§51.3475–51.3485) define U.S. No. 1 and size classes. No corridor-specific mandatory import grade was confirmed; buyers may specify it.	USDA AMSUnited States · Effective 20 Mar 1995
Export phytosanitary certificate	SENASA inspects fresh plant exports and issues the export phytosanitary certificate; applications go through VUCE (form SNS022).	SENASA PeruPeru · Procedure dated 11 Jun 2026

Recent changes

2024 FDA pre-harvest agricultural-water rule, with compliance phased by business size across 2025–2027.

Not verified — confirm locally

The current ACIR record for Peruvian fresh blueberries (treatment schedule numbers, ports, approved facilities, any preclearance or systems approach).
Any Peruvian blueberry export licence, statutory maturity threshold or seasonal restriction.
Variety licensing terms: many commercial blueberry varieties are licensed; confirm terms with the licensor before planting.

Check the current text with the named authorities and your importer before each season. A dated official page is not proof that no later change exists.

What the production project should procure

SeedMatch procurement advice, not an official requirement. Scope is confirmed with the buyer's agronomist, engineer and importer.

Pre-cooling and cold chain: If cold treatment is the route used, the fruit must already be handled to tight temperatures. Size forced-air pre-cooling and cold rooms for peak daily harvest.
Agricultural water: Plan water sources, storage and distribution so the farm can carry out the systems-based water assessment the FDA rule requires.
Irrigation and fertigation: Blueberries are usually grown in substrate or acid-adjusted soil with precise pH and EC control. Specify the dosing and acid-injection scope and the water analysis it is based on.
Packhouse hygiene and traceability: Packing and holding fall under the Produce Safety Rule. Specify washable surfaces, sanitation access and lot coding.
Residue programme: Plan crop protection against EPA tolerances for every active substance used.

Ask suppliers to quote the complete system, including lifecycle consumables and service, and to provide certifications and performance data as documents. Yield, savings or market-access figures in a quotation are supplier projections, not guarantees.

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Related planning

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