The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes Oct. 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.
Most federal employees furloughed by the shutdown returned to work Oct. 17, after President Barack Obama signed a bill in the early morning hours to fund the federal government. The Office of Personnel Management said employees are expected to return to work, although it also told agencies to be flexible. Agency websites and databases were restored throughout the morning of Oct. 17. Some websites were slow to come back up on the morning after work resumed -- the Foreign-Trade Zones Board website still redirects to a message about the shutdown as of press time, for example. But most websites, including the International Trade Commission’s online Harmonized Tariff Schedule, are back online. Many agencies anticipate delays as they work through backlogs that accumulated during the shutdown.
A group of trade associations on Oct. 10 urged the Environmental Protection Agency to resume review of documents that accompany pesticide shipments, in a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy dated Oct. 10. Pesticide shipments are currently unable to clear U.S. customs, because the EPA regional staff that normally reviews notices of action have been furloughed during the federal government shutdown (see 13100229 and 13101002). The letter from 17 trade associations, including the American Association of Exporters and Importers, the American Association of Port Authorities, CropLife America and the National Association of Manufacturers, said the EPA employees responsible for review of notices of action should be deemed essential and resume work during the shutdown.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes Oct. 7 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.
Those involved in international trade were reporting relatively few impacts of the government shutdown, in its second day, but expressing concerns about the longer term. Most industry officials told us traffic continues moving through ports and airports.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes Sept. 30 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 trade industry was still assessing the short- and long-term effects of the government shutdown Oct. 1. CBP had already said its core functions would not be immediately affected (see 13093028). And the U.S. National Airspace System was operating normally Oct. 1, with no reports of any impact to operations due to the government shutdown, said The International Air Cargo Association.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes Sept. 25-27 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 is proposing to allow the importation of fresh potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) from Mexico into the U.S., it said in a Federal Register notice scheduled for Sept. 27. The potatoes would have to be produced in accordance with a systems approach employing a combination of mitigation measures to prevent the introduction and dissemination of plant pests into the U.S., it said.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is seeking extension of approval of an information collection associated with regulations for the import of horses, ruminants, swine, and dogs from regions of the world where screwworm is considered to exist, it said in a Federal Register notice scheduled for Sept. 24. APHIS estimates 1,931 information collection responses at 0.5 hours each. Comments are due by Nov. 24 via http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2013-0065-0001. Further information: Ellen Buck, 301-851-3361.