USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced June 2 that Special Import Quota #7 for upland cotton will be established June 9, allowing importation of 9,898,391 kilograms (45,462 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Sept. 6, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by Dec. 5, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the January through March 2022 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced May 26 that Special Import Quota #6 for upland cotton will be established June 2, allowing importation of 9,898,391 kilograms (45,462 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Aug. 30, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by Nov. 28, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the January through March 2022 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service is proposing to amend U.S. grade standards for pecans in the shell and shelled pecans, it said in a notice released May 31. The proposed rule would replace current grades with U.S. Extra Fancy, U.S. Fancy, U.S. Choice, and U.S. Standard grades. AMS also proposes to update terminology, definitions and defect scoring guides, it said. Comments on the proposed rule are due by Aug. 1.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is will allow importation of fresh avocado fruit from continental Ecuador into the continental United States, it said. Conditions for importation include a systems approach with production site registration, field sanitation, packinghouse procedures designed to exclude the quarantine pests and procedures for packing, storing and shipping the avocado fruit. Shipments must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate from the Ecuadorean government. Imports of Ecuadorean avocados are authorized as of May 26.
All importers of earthworms will need to obtain a permit beginning July 1, and imports of earthworms for environmental release in the U.S. will be allowed only from countries free of foot-and-mouth disease, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said May 23. In addition to a PPQ 526 pest permit, earthworm importers will also need to “comply with rearing and shipping requirements,” APHIS said. “This new policy applies to all earthworm species and will help to prevent the introduction and spread of potentially harmful pests and plant and animal pathogens transmitted from imported earthworms,” it said.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced May 19 that Special Import Quota #5 for upland cotton will be established May 26, allowing importation of 9,898,391 kilograms (45,462 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Aug. 23, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by Nov. 21, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the January through March 2022 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is restricting imports of poultry, commercial birds, ratites, avian hatching eggs, unprocessed avian products and byproducts, and certain fresh poultry products from five more zones in Canada, it announced May 12. That comes on top of the 35 zones already restricted by APHIS over the past three months due to concern over highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
All new and renewal permit applications for live animals and animal products, organisms and vectors must be filed in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s eFile system beginning May 31, the agency said May 16. “All applicants must use the [Veterinary Services Permitting Assistant (VSPA)] to start the permit application,” APHIS said. “Additionally, applicants with existing VS 16-6 permits must renew them using the VSPA to select materials that match the existing permit.” Amendments to existing permits must be requested in the system in which the permits exist, whether ePermits or eFile, APHIS said. “All permits in the ePermits system will remain valid until they expire.”
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced May 12 that Special Import Quota #4 for upland cotton will be established May 19, allowing importation of 9,898,391 kilograms (45,462 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Aug. 16, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by Nov. 14, 2022. Special Import Quota #3 for upland cotton was announced May 5. Established May 12, the quota applies to upland cotton purchased not later than Aug. 9, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by Nov. 7, 2022. The allowed amount in the #3 quota is 9,559,147 kilograms (43,904 bales) of upland cotton, down from 10,083,800 kilograms (46,314 bales) under quota #2. The quotas are equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the January through March 2022 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced April 28 that Special Import Quota #2 for upland cotton will be established May 5, allowing importation of 10,083,800 kilograms (46,314 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Aug. 2, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by Oct. 31, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the December 2021 through February 2022 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.