The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is asking for comments by July 1 on a proposed rule that would allow imports of beans from Jordan into the continental U.S. The proposal covers fresh French, green, snap, and string beans, either shelled or in pods. As a condition for entry would include requirements for packing, washing, and processing, and the beans would have to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate from the Jordanian government.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is asking for comments by July 1 on its proposal to allow imports of female squash flowers from Israel into the continental U.S. As a condition of entry, the flowers would be subject to a systems approach that would include requirements for pest exclusion at the production site and fruit fly trapping and monitoring, APHIS said. They would also need to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Israeli government.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said it will allow imports of fresh Barhi dates from Israel, effective May 2. As conditions of importation, the dates may be imported in commercial consignments only, must be treated in accordance with 7 CFR 305 for C. capitata, and must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Israeli government.
The Department of Agriculture is waiving some Refined Sugar Re-Export Program restrictions, effective May 1. USDA said the “waivers will facilitate a re-balancing of re-export program license amounts and provide greater flexibility to offset exports and transfers with raw sugar imports.”
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes April 29 to Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) electronic manuals. While some changes are minor, other changes may affect the admissibility of the plant products, including fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
On April 29, the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
The Agricultural Marketing Service is proposing to revise the voluntary Standards for Grades of Okra by removing the “Unclassified” section from the standards. The section is no longer necessary, because it is not a grade and only shows that no grade has been applied a given lot, said AMS. The revision would bring okra standards in line with current marketing practices and other commodity standards, the agency said. Comments are due by May 31.
On April 26, the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
The Food Safety and Inspection Service revised export requirements and plant lists for the following countries for April 19-26:
On April 25, the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports: