CBP LA/LB Warns of Noxious Weed Seeds on Ocean Container Shipments
CBP agricultural specialists have been finding USDA-listed federal noxious weed seeds on ocean container shipments, and importers may be required to take action to “mitigate the threat of introducing such risks to the United States,” CBP Los Angeles/Long Beach said in an Oct. 3 public bulletin. “The [noxious weed] seeds are found on the outside of packing material attached to the side of boxes and on crates,” the bulletin said. “The seeds most likely have become attached during the loading and storage of the cargo.”
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
Options for importers when seeds are discovered include “re-exportation, treatment, and/or destruction of the cargo,” the bulletin said. The bulletin lists approved facilities for treatment of cargo. “Please have all importers clean and inspect their packing material prior to importation into the United States,” CBP LA/LB said.