The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing to amend its regulations that prevent introduction of African swine fever so that they also apply to importation of live dogs for resale. The proposed rule would mostly adopt, but with slightly different microchip requirements, a federal order issued in 2021 that set permit, microchip, documentation and other import requirements for imported dogs of less than 6 months of age that will be transferred to another person for more than de minimis consideration (this includes such transactions as retail sale, wholesale and fee-based adoption). Comments on the proposed rule are due Nov. 27.
A final rule that took effect in early 2022, ending bovine spongiform encephalopathy-related import restrictions for live sheep and goats and most sheep and goat products is the target of a bill introduced by five Republican senators from Western states. Sen. John Barasso, R-Wyo., tried to stop this rule before, in January 2022 (see 2201130006). USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said that the restrictions were put in place before "extensive research” showed that sheep and goats “pose a minimal risk of spreading BSE” (see 2112020022).
Even though thousands of CBP employees will be required to work without pay to clear cargo in the case of a government shutdown on Sunday, importers are preparing for problems, since they have experienced them in previous shutdowns.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will allow imports of baby kiwi fruit from France, it said in a notice. 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,” APHIS said. Imports may be authorized beginning Sept. 26, APHIS said.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is amending its regulations on imports of horses. An APHIS final rule increases from 60 days to 90 days the period that horses exported from regions free from contagious equine metritis (CEM) are allowed to spend in a region affected by CEM and still enter the U.S. without testing. The final rule also requires import permits for horses transiting through CEM-affected regions, and adds requirements to ensure health certifications properly attest to the health of the imported horse. It also requires that horses transiting Central America or the West Indies “comply with the same regulations that apply to horses directly imported from these regions,” and adds requirements for shipping containers used in transporting horses. The final rule takes effect Oct. 16.
Updated ACE Agency Tariff Code AQX is now available for the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, CBP said in a CSMS message Sept. 8. The flag is available in the certification environment. Starting Sept. 11, the AQX code will begin to be assigned to HTS codes in the production environment, the message said. The flag for this entry will be given a "warning" severity, meaning that you can still file a new entry even if there is no disclaim code related to the flag. Disclaim codes A and B will be usable with the AQX flag, the message said. Filers who submit an entry with HTS flagged AQX without APHIS data or a disclaim will receive the following message: PU2 – DATA MSNG ON HTS – NO ACTN RQD AQX. Questions about the APHIS Core Message Set filing can be sent to ace.itds@usda.gov or addressed by the APHIS help desk at 1-833-481-2102 or the APHIS website.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is restricting imports from Belarus of poultry, commercial birds, ratites, avian hatching eggs, unprocessed avian products and byproducts, as well as “certain fresh poultry products,” as a result of the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the country. Effective Aug. 14, imports of processed avian products and byproducts from or transiting Belarus, imported as cargo, will require an APHIS permit or government certification of treatment. Imports of fresh, unprocessed eggs and egg products are prohibited unless they are consigned from the port of arrival directly to an APHIS-approved breaking and pasteurization facility, APHIS said. Unprocessed avian products and byproducts originating from or transiting Belarus won't be permitted to enter the U.S., APHIS said.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service intends to recognize the Tuscany and Umbria regions of Italy as free of swine vesicular disease, it said in a notice released Aug. 22. If these determinations are finalized, APHIS may loosen restrictions on the importation of pork and pork products from Tuscany and Umbria. Comments are due by Oct. 23.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service intends to allow imports of fresh table beet root from the U.K., it said in a notice released Aug. 22. 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,” APHIS said. If APHIS finalizes the decision, it will allow imports into the continental U.S., Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, subject to the phytosanitary requirements specified by the agency. Comments will be accepted through Oct. 23.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced it will hold a series of webinars in September to discuss recently proposed large increases to agriculture quarantine and inspection (AQI) fees (see 2308100026). Four webinars on Sept. 12 and 13 will address the proposed changes to fees for commercial air, truck, ocean and rail cargo. All will be recorded for those who can’t attend the live session, APHIS said.