The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is amending its regulations on animals and animal products to remove restrictions previously in place to combat the disease rinderpest, it said in a final rule. The animal disease has been declared fully eradicated, so the restrictions are no longer necessary, APHIS said. The agency’s regulations will no longer restrict importation and exportation of animal products due to rinderpest, nor will they specify permit and certificate requirements related to the disease. References to rinderpest will be maintained only in the APHIS regulations on select agents and toxins, the agency said. The final rule takes effect April 11.
The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation on April 5 announced Special Import Quota #24 for upland cotton will be established on April 12, allowing importation of 13,357,069 kilograms (61,348 bales) of upland cotton. It will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than July 10, 2018, and entered into the U.S. by Oct. 8, 2018. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the period November 2017 through January 2018, the most recent three months for which data is available. The CCC also posted to its website on April 3 a bulletin announcing Special Import Quota #23 was to be established April 5, allowing importation of the same amount of upland cotton and applicable to cotton purchased no later than July 3, 2018, and entered into the U.S. by Oct. 1, 2018.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will allow imports of lemon from Chile into the continental U.S., it said in a final rule. Eligibility conditions include pre-harvest sampling at the registered production site under the direction of the Chilean government, and inspection in Chile at an APHIS approved site. Each shipment will also have to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate from the Chilean government declaring the fruit has been found free of the pest B. chilensis based on field and packinghouse inspections. The final rule takes effect May 7.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing to allow imports of pummelo from Thailand, subject to certain conditions, it said. The citrus fruit would be subject to a systems approach that would include irradiation treatment, packinghouse processing requirements and port of entry inspections. It would also have to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Thai government. Comments on the proposal are due May 29.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will allow imports of cherimoya fruit from Chile into the entire U.S. without the currently required soapy water and wax treatment, it said in a final rule. The cherimoya would be required to be produced under a systems approach with requirements for production site registration, low pest prevalence area certification, post-harvest processing, and fruit cutting and inspection at the packinghouse. Cherimoya that don't meet the requirements of the systems approach would still be allowed for importation under the soapy water and wax treatment. The final rule takes effect April 30.
The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation on March 22 announced Special Import Quota #22 for upland cotton will be established on March 29, allowing importation of 13,357,069 kilograms (61,348 bales) of upland cotton. It will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than June 26, 2018, and entered into the U.S. by Sept. 24, 2018. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the period November 2017 through January 2018, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on March 19 issued a final rule overhauling its plants for planting regulations. The new regulations will no longer include restrictions on importation of specific types of plants for planting. Rather, these restrictions will be found in the Plants for Planting Manual, which APHIS will be able to change after issuing notices in the Federal Register and allowing for comments. The final rule takes effect April 18.
The Agricultural Marketing Service is holding a vote on whether to continue the national Christmas tree promotion order and its associated assessments on importers, it said. Only importers and domestic producers of more than 500 trees during the period Sept. 1, 2017, through March 15, 2018, are eligible to vote in the referendum. Under the promotion order, which took effect in 2014 (see 14040418), importers above that threshold must pay an assessment of $0.15 per tree on imports of Christmas trees. The fees fund efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct research and promotion activities. The referendum will be conducted by mailed ballot beginning May 1, with votes due no later than May 31.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will now allow imports of blueberries from Peru to be treated for pests by way of irradiation, it said in a bulletin. Previously, Peruvian blueberries had to either be cold treated or fumigated with methyl bromide to mitigate for fruit flies. Peru had requested irradiation as an alternate treatment. “APHIS is amending the import requirements for blueberries from Peru to authorize irradiation at 150 Gy at approved U.S. irradiation facilities as an alternate treatment option, instead of cold treatment or methyl bromide fumigation,” it said. The change was added to the APHIS’ Fruits and Vegetables Import Requirement Database (FAVIR), Fruits and Vegetables Manual and Treatment Manual on March 13.
The Agricultural Marketing Service is setting new late payment fees and interest charges on late assessments from importers and domestic producers under the honey promotion order, it said in a final rule. Under the order, importers and domestic producers of more than 250,000 pounds of non-organic honey must pay an assessment of 1.5 cents per pound. AMS will impose a 10 percent late fee on assessments not received within 30 calendar days of the date they are due, as well as 2/3 percent interest until payment is received. The final rule takes effect April 13.