The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said it is immediately authorizing methyl bromide treatment for kumquat imports. APHIS says the treatment is necessary for some kumquat imports, including from Uruguay (see 13070902), to meet requirements for treatment for fruit flies. Comments are due March 31.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Administrator Kevin Shea permanently appointed two associate administrators who were previously in informal acting roles. Associate Administrator Jere Dick will focus on business process improvement efforts, the agency’s emergency response community, and the Veterinary Services, Wildlife Services, and International Services, said Shea on Jan. 28. Mike Gregoire will focus on APHIS policy, budget and administrative issues and the Biotechnology Regulatory Services and Plant Protection and Quarantine program areas.
CBP and other agencies took major strides in FY 2013 toward improving trade data processing, said the International Trade Data System (ITDS) Board of Directors in a report to Congress. The statutorily required yearly report outlines progress on deploying a "single window" to automate Participating Government Agencies' (PGA) collection and processing of required import and export information. An increase in finished memorandums of understanding (MOU) between CBP and other agencies was among the notable updates since the previous report.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on Jan. 28 said it is deregulating three more pests at the port of entry, after the National Plant Board agreed with its proposals to change their status to non-actionable. The three deregulated pests include (pests marked by an asterisk are still quarantine pests in Hawaii and/or territories):
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing to allow imports of bananas from the Philippines into Hawaii, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Just as with imports of bananas from the Philippines into the continental U.S., which have been allowed since February 2013 (see 13020620), the bananas would have to be imported in commercial consignments, monitored for fruit flies, harvested only as hard green bananas, and inspected for quarantine pests by the national plant protection organization of the Philippines. They would also need to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate. Comments are due by March 31.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes Jan. 23 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 Animal and Plant Health Service is proposing to further loosen import restrictions on meat and meat products from Argentina. The agency is withdrawing a 2007 proposed rule that would have the “Patagonia South” region of Argentina south of the 42nd parallel to be free of foot-and-mouth disease and rinderpest (here). Instead, APHIS is now proposing to also find the area immediately north of the 42nd parallel (Patagonia North B) to be free of foot-and-mouth disease, in addition to Patagonia South. The agency is also proposing to find the entirety of Argentina to be free of rinderpest (here). The reproposal was also required by changes to APHIS regulations, it said, because pest risk determinations are no longer formally codified but are instead put on the agency’s website.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes Jan. 17 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 Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service again amended requirements for importation of fresh blueberries from Chile to allow for fumigation at more ports of entry, as it attempts to contain the spread of European Grapevine Moth (EGVM) (Lobesia botrana) recently found in Chilean blueberry orchards (see 13122616). Effective Jan. 17, APHIS will allow fumigation with methyl bromide upon arrival at the maritime Ports of New York/New Jersey and Los Angeles, in addition to the Ports of Long Beach, Miami, Wilmington and Philadelphia already tapped for fumigation in an earlier notice (see 14011012). Alternatively, for shipments from regions other than VI, VIII, or VIII (O’Higgins, Maule, and Bio Bio), APHIS will continue to require increased preclearance inspection at the port of export.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes Jan. 16 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.