Geoffrey Powell, vice president of the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America, will be among the panelists on Pest Exclusion and Outreach at the July 17-18 APHIS Agriculture Stakeholder Conference. As a member of Treasury’s COAC group, Powell chaired an Agriculture Subcommittee that addressed some of the needs of APHIS stakeholders and will speak on how that subcommittee worked with APHIS/CBP to reach out to the stakeholders via on-line questionnaires on topics such as visibility of data, exam issues, and delays to cargo, among others, NCBFAA said.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced its determination of nonregulated status for two genetically engineered (GE) plants, Modified Oil Soybean (Monsanto) and Glufosinate Tolerant Bollworm Resistant Cotton (Bayer), and said it is requesting comments on nine petitions for nonregulated status for nine other plants. Comments will be due 60 days after publication of the petitions in the Federal Register. The nine petitions that APHIS will review cover:
On July 6 the Foreign Agricultural Service issued the following GAIN reports:
The Codex Alimentarius Commission concluded its 35th Session on July 5, reported the Food Safety and Inspection Service. Highlights of the Commission’s 35th session include:
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued emails July 6 announcing changes to some 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.
On July 5 the Foreign Agricultural Service issued the following GAIN reports:
The Food Safety and Inspection Service revised export requirements and plant lists for the following countries for June 30 - July 6:
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued emails July 5 announcing changes to some 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.
Although registration for the 2012 Agriculture Stakeholder Conference: Pests, Pathways, and Partnerships has officially closed, a live webcast will be made available for those who cannot attend, said the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The conference, which is to discuss the future of Agricultural Quarantine Inspection (AQI) initiatives and to garner input on how CBP and APHIS can better serve stakeholder needs, will be offered via live webcast on July 17 and 18. More details on how to sign up for the webcast are available here. For a copy of this message, email documents@brokerpower.com.
The North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO) is seeking comments on three regional standards, said the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The regional standards, and their deadlines for comments, are as follows: