On Jan. 9 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes Jan. 9 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.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service outlined instructions for inspection program personnel on newly available alternatives for marking consignments with the U.S. Department of Agriculture export stamp, in a Jan. 5 notice (here). The instructions follow an FSIS final rule that revised meat and poultry inspection regulations to provide for an electronic export application and certification system (see 1606280022). Previously, a USDA export stamp was required on each outside container within a consignment intended for export, FSIS said. The final rule added some options for USDA export stamping. "These options include applying the stamp to each outside container, a securely enclosed pallet or pallets within the consignment, or the closed means of conveyance transporting the consignment, depending on the requirements" of the foreign country (here), FSIS said. Among other things, the instructions say that inspection personnel may allow for stamping when the personnel aren't present, though a verification of the stamping process for legibility is required, it said. The personnel may also "perform reinspection of consignments at any time as necessary," it said.
On Jan. 6 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
On Jan. 5 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN report:
The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation on Jan. 5 announced Special Import Quota #15 for upland cotton will be established on Jan. 12, allowing importation of 13,866,053 kilograms (63,686 bales) (here). It will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than April 11, 2017, and entered into the U.S. by July 10, 2017. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the period August through October, the most recent three months for which data are available.
The Agricultural Marketing Service will hold webinars on a coming requirement that all organic products imported from Mexico into the U.S. be accompanied by a National Organic Program import certificate, the AMS said (here). That requirement, effective Jan. 16, is meant to "improve consumer confidence in imported organic products and protect the integrity of the organic trade," it said. U.S. and Mexican agencies will work with importers and certifying agents "to help them understand the requirement and prepare for its implementation," it said. A webinar for certifiers is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Jan. 10 (here) and one for importers is set for 2 p.m. the same day (here).
On Jan. 4 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
On Jan. 3 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes Jan. 3 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.