Thailand will be exporting its exotic dragonfruit to the U.S. after the Animal and Plant Health Inspection (APHIS) decided the fruit was safe to import.

The decision follows a risk assessment published on Jun. 30, and a 60-day period for feedback where no comments were received.

Inspectors said the fruit must be imported in commercial assignments and comply with irradiation requirements.

If irradiation treatment is applied outside the U.S. then each consignment must be jointly inspected by APHIS and Thailand's National Plant Protection Organization and be accompanied with a phytosanitary certificate proving the fruit received irradiation treatment.

The announcement follows an APHIS decision in August that Mexican dragonfruit was safe to import.

Vietnam is already an established dragon fruit supplier estimating that total exports to the U.S., Japan and South Korea will total 2,600 metric tons this year.

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