The list was derived from pests identified in the U.S Code of
Federal Regulations (7 CFR 300-399), regulated pests frequently
intercepted from imported commodities at U.S. ports of entry,
and regulated pests identified by APHIS or stakeholders as
having the potential to cause serious economic or environmental
damage in the U.S.. It is intended, under the international
principles of sanitary and phytosanitary agreements, to provide
the trading partners of the United States with an official
USDA APHIS list of Regulated Plant Pests of concern to the
U.S.. The listed organisms were a known threat at the time
of their listing, and therefore, may not include all pests
for which USDA APHIS would necessarily take action.