New FSIS Foreign Inspection Certificates Required March 18

The Food Safety and Inspection Service confirmed that new foreign inspection certificate requirements will take effect on March 18, in a Federal Register notice formally “extending” the deadline (here). APHIS first announced in October that paper filers have until March 18 before they must begin submitting foreign inspection certificates meeting the new requirements along with a revised Form 9540-1 (Application for Import Inspection) (see 1411030021). A final rule issued in September required that foreign inspection certificates supply additional information about the product being imported, including the process category, and the product category and the product group, as well as the source country and establishment number (if the source materials originate from a country other than the country that is exporting to the U.S.).