The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is moving forward with increased user fees for its agricultural quarantine and inspection service, it said last week. Announced in a pre-publication final rule released by APHIS, the fee increases will begin to apply on Oct. 1.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced April 25 that Special Import Quota #2 for upland cotton will be established May 2, allowing importation of 6,902,347 kilograms (31,702 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than July 30, 2024, and entered into the U.S. by Oct. 28, 2024. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the December 2023 through February 2024 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced April 18 that Special Import Quota #1 for upland cotton will be established April 25, allowing importation of 6,902,347 kilograms (31,702 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than July 23, 2024, and entered into the U.S. by Oct. 21, 2024. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the December 2023 through February 2024 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
FORT LAUDERDALE -- The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will “hopefully” publish its notice launching Phase VII of Lacey Act Enforcement “in the next two-ish months,” said Erin Otto, of the agency’s Lacey Act program, on April 16. That will trigger a six-month countdown until full enforcement of Phase VII, which covers all non-composite plant products that Lacey Act requirements haven't previously covered.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced April 11 that Special Import Quota #26 for upland cotton will be established April 18, allowing importation of 6,902,347 kilograms (31,702 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than July 16, 2024, and entered into the U.S. by Oct. 14, 2024. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the December 2023 through February 2024 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced April 4 that Special Import Quota #25 for upland cotton will be established April 11, allowing importation of 6,902,347 kilograms (31,702 bales) of upland cotton, up from 6,526,283 kilograms in the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than July 9, 2024, and entered into the U.S. by Oct. 7, 2024. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the December 2023 through February 2024 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service intends to allow imports of leaves and stems of rosemary and leaves and stems of tarragon from Ethiopia into the continental U.S., it said in a notice April 4. An agency pest risk analysis found “the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds” with the importation of the herbs, APHIS said. If APHIS finalizes the decision, it will allow imports into the U.S., subject to the phytosanitary requirements specified by the agency. Comments will be accepted through June 3.
A ban on imports of some types of cherries and other fruits from Quebec recently went into effect, after a detection of the European cherry fruit fly in the province resulted in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service expanding a ban already in place for Ontario. Effective April 1, APHIS is prohibiting entry of imports from Quebec of black cherry (Prunus serotina), mahaleb cherry (P. mahaleb), sour cherry (P. cerasus), sweet cherry (P. avium), and wild Prunus spp. and Lonicera spp. fruits. Imports of those fruits from Ontario have been banned since 2017 for the same reason (see 1705240011).
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced March 28 that Special Import Quota #24 for upland cotton will be established April 4, allowing importation of 6,526,283 kilograms (29,975 bales) of upland cotton, unchanged from the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than July 2, 2024, and entered into the U.S. by Sept. 30, 2024. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the November 2023 through January 2024 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service intends to allow imports of fresh Hass avocado fruit from Guatemala, it said in a notice released March 26. An agency pest risk analysis found “the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds” with the importation of Guatemalan avocados, APHIS said. If APHIS finalizes the decision, it will allow imports into the U.S., subject to the phytosanitary requirements specified by the agency. Comments will be accepted through May 28.