The Food Safety and Inspection Service set Jan. 1, 2024, as the uniform compliance date for any new meat and poultry product labeling regulations issued Jan. 1, 2021, to Dec. 31, 2022, in a final rule released Dec. 15. FSIS periodically announces uniform compliance dates for new meat and poultry product labeling regulations to minimize the economic impact of label changes. Comments on the final rule are due by Jan. 15, 2021.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Dec. 10 that Special Import Quota #8 for upland cotton will be established Dec. 17, allowing importation of 8,108,926 kilograms (37,244 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than March 16, 2021, and entered into the U.S. by June 14, 2021. CCC had announced Special Import Quota #7 on Dec. 3. Established Dec. 10, the quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than March 9, and entered into the U.S. by June 7. The quotas are equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the July 2020 through September 2020 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Nov. 27 that Special Import Quota #6 for upland cotton will be established Dec. 3, allowing importation of 8,108,926 kilograms (37,244 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period (see 2011200021). The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than March 2, 2021, and entered into the U.S. by May 31, 2021. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the July 2020 through September 2020 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service released on Nov. 25 a notice listing ongoing international sanitary and phytosanitary standard-setting activities of the World Organization for Animal Health, the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention and the North American Plant Protection Organization. Comments on the standards being considered may be submitted at any time, APHIS said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Nov. 19 that Special Import Quota #5 for upland cotton will be established Nov. 26, allowing importation of 8,108,926 kilograms (37,244 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period (see 2011130006). The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Feb. 23, 2021, and entered into the U.S. by May 24, 2021. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the July 2020 through September 2020 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Nov. 12 that Special Import Quota #4 for upland cotton will be established Nov. 19, allowing importation of 8,108,926 kilograms (37,244 bales) of upland cotton, an increase from 5,551,846 kilograms (25,499 bales) in the previous quota period (see 2011060010). The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Feb. 16, 2021, and entered into the U.S. by May 17, 2021. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the July 2020 through September 2020 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Nov. 5 that Special Import Quota #3 for upland cotton will be established Nov. 12, allowing importation of 5,551,846 kilograms (25,499 bales) of upland cotton, the same as for the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Feb. 9, 2021, and entered into the U.S. by May 10, 2021. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the May 2020 through July 2020 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will allow imports of cold-treated citrus fruit from South Africa into all U.S. ports, it said in a notice released Nov. 4. Previously, citrus from South Africa was allowed into only four U.S. ports with cold treatment facilities, the agency said. The change takes effect Nov. 5.
Dairy imports from the United Kingdom will continue to fall into the European Union’s allocations for tariff-rate quotas in the 2021 quota year, the Foreign Agricultural Service said in a notice released Nov. 3. But unlike in past years, the U.K. will designate importers to receive import licenses, rather than the EU, FAS said. According to FAS, the EU says “that it no longer has the authority to designate importers on behalf of UK exporters for trade transactions that will occur after December 31, 2020,” when the Brexit transition period is set to end.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Oct. 29 that Special Import Quota #2 for upland cotton will be established Nov. 5, allowing importation of 5,551,846 kilograms (25,499 bales) of upland cotton, the same as for the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Feb. 2, 2021, and entered into the U.S. by May 3, 2021. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the May 2020 through July 2020 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.