The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on March 13 released country-by-country reallocations of unused FY 2023 in-quota amounts for the tariff-rate quotas for imported raw cane sugar. "Based on consultations with quota holders, USTR has determined to reallocate 224,240 [metric tons raw value (MTRV)] of the original TRQ quantity from those countries that have stated they do not plan to fill their FY 2023 allocated raw cane sugar quantities," it said. Reallocated quantities are as follows: Argentina 12,682; Australia 24,479; Barbados 500; Belize 3,244; Bolivia 2,360; Brazil 42,765; Colombia 7,078; Costa Rica 4,424; Dominican Republic 40,000; Ecuador 3,244; El Salvador 7,668; Eswatini (Swaziland) 4,719; Fiji 2,654; Guatemala 14,157; Guyana 3,539; Honduras 2,949; India 2,360; Malawi 2,949; Mauritius 3,539; Mozambique 3,834; Panama 8,553; Peru 12,092; South Africa 6,783; Thailand 4,129; and Zimbabwe 3,539.

The Agricultural Marketing Service is updating tariff schedule numbers listed for importer assessments under the marketing order on paper and paper-based packaging. The agency’s final rule brings the list of Harmonized Tariff Schedule numbers subject to assessments in line with the latest changes to the tariff schedule. AMS also is amending the regulations to provide that, going forward, if any HTS number under the order “is changed and such change is merely a replacement of a previous number and has no impact on the description of the paper and paper-based packaging involved, assessments will continue to be collected based on the new number.” The final rule takes effect March 10.

The Agricultural Marketing Service is proposing to amend its standards for grades on processed raisins to reduce the number of capstems allowed as defects. According to the proposed rule, an AMS study conducted 2016-2019 found only 1.03% of all domestic and import inspections would have been graded differently under the proposed reduced capstem allowances than under current allowances, “leaving a full 98.97% of lots of raisins inspected unchanged in their classification.” Comments are due by May 8.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced March 8 a redesigned Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection program user fees webpage. The new “customer-focused” site will provide general AQI user fee information on the main page, as well as fee-specific information and resources and an announcements section “to help users quickly identify important information,” the agency said. “APHIS’ goal in the redesign was to make it easier for customers to find information and resources that apply to their fee area(s) without having to navigate through information that doesn’t apply to them,” it said.

Two Canadian ministers will "closely review" proposed voluntary “Product of USA” labeling regulations for meat, poultry and egg products issued by the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service March 7 (see 2303070053), making sure “that new definitions and rules allow farmers, processors and consumers in both countries to continue to benefit from efficient, stable and competitive markets,” their joint statement March 7 said. Minister of Agriculture Marie-Claude Bibeau and Minister of Trade Mary Ng also said they would oppose “any proposition from the United States to renew a mandatory country of origin [labeling] system for pork and beef.”

The Food Safety and Inspection Service on March 6 released a pre-publication version of a proposed rule that would set new requirements for labeling meat, poultry and egg products as “Product of USA” or “Made in USA.” Under the proposed rule, the claims could only be made on products “derived from animals born, raised, slaughtered and processed” in the U.S. The notice has not as of press time been scheduled for publication in the Federal Register.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will classify eight Mexican regions for bovine tuberculosis, it announced in a March 3 notice. These are: the state of Sonora as Level II; the Yucatan Peninsula region (states of Yucatan and Quintana Roo, and part of Campeche), the Huasteca region (parts of Puebla, Veracruz and Hidalgo), part of Chuhuahua, and part of Durango as Level III; and part of the state of Coahuila, part of Nuevo Leon and the whole state of Tamaulipas as Level IV. APHIS proposed the classifications in August 2022 with comments due in October (see 2208250048) but said it did not receive any comments. APHIS in March 2022 classified Sonora as a Level I for bovine brucellosis and Canada as a Level I for both bovine brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis (see 2203040021).

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will allow importation of fresh oha leaves from Nigeria and mangoes from Grenada into the U.S., both subject to certain phytostanitary requirements, it said in a pair of notices released Feb. 14. Imports of the oha leaves and mangoes may be authorized beginning Feb. 15, APHIS said.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is developing a new Harmonized Tariff Schedule flag for use in ACE that the agency says will eliminate the need for filers to disclaim entries under tariff subheadings potentially subject to the APHIS Core partner government agency message set, it said in an emailed bulletin Feb. 9. The new “AQ3” flag will alert filers that the relevant tariff subheading may require APHIS Core PGA data, but it will not prohibit filers from successfully submitting an entry without the data or a disclaim.

The Agricultural Marketing Service is amending handling requirements for imported kiwifruit and kiwifruit grown in California, it said in a notice released Jan. 27. The final rule revises size and uniformity requirements under the California kiwifruit federal marketing order for all varieties of Actinidia chinensis species kiwifruit, which is commonly known as golden kiwifruit, AMS said. Under Section 8e of the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act, imported kiwifruit must conform to the same maturity, size and grade requirements as those set by the domestic marketing order. The changes take effect March 1.