The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will classify eight Mexican regions for bovine tuberculosis, it announced in a March 3 notice. These are: the state of Sonora as Level II; the Yucatan Peninsula region (states of Yucatan and Quintana Roo, and part of Campeche), the Huasteca region (parts of Puebla, Veracruz and Hidalgo), part of Chuhuahua, and part of Durango as Level III; and part of the state of Coahuila, part of Nuevo Leon and the whole state of Tamaulipas as Level IV. APHIS proposed the classifications in August 2022 with comments due in October (see 2208250048) but said it did not receive any comments. APHIS in March 2022 classified Sonora as a Level I for bovine brucellosis and Canada as a Level I for both bovine brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis (see 2203040021).
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will allow importation of fresh oha leaves from Nigeria and mangoes from Grenada into the U.S., both subject to certain phytostanitary requirements, it said in a pair of notices released Feb. 14. Imports of the oha leaves and mangoes may be authorized beginning Feb. 15, APHIS said.
CBP sent out a CSMS message Feb. 13 reminding import filers of the “procedures and requirements to appropriately import shipments of biological materials.” The agency “estimates that a large volume of shipments containing biological materials are imported with missing, conflicting, or improper documentation and packaging,” it said, and “importations that fail to comply with U.S. import requirements may be refused/denied entry.” The message details what’s included under the term “biological materials,” as well as procedures for filing documents required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is developing a new Harmonized Tariff Schedule flag for use in ACE that the agency says will eliminate the need for filers to disclaim entries under tariff subheadings potentially subject to the APHIS Core partner government agency message set, it said in an emailed bulletin Feb. 9. The new “AQ3” flag will alert filers that the relevant tariff subheading may require APHIS Core PGA data, but it will not prohibit filers from successfully submitting an entry without the data or a disclaim.
LAREDO, Texas -- CBP hopes to wrap up discussions with the trade on its 21st Century Customs Framework in 2023, “putting a bow” on its consultations with the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee and putting legislative proposals to Congress, said Brandon Lord, CBP executive director-trade policy and programs.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has stopped the import of fresh bell peppers from Spain, as of Dec. 29, because it wants to prevent the Mediterranean fruit fly from spreading in the U.S. In-bond transfers of the peppers are also prohibited, south of 39 degree latitude and west of 104 degrees longitude. Fruit flies were detected during multiple CBP inspections of the subject goods at ports of entry to the U.S.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will “effective immediately” allow imports from Canada of breeding water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and yak (Bos grunniens), APHIS said in an update Dec. 9. An import permit is required, and the shipment “must also be accompanied by a health certificate endorsed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency,” APHIS said. “The importer/ transporter must contact the Northern Border Port of entry at least 14 days in advance to arrange inspection details if the animals are transported by land,” the agency said.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will slightly lower some fees for agricultural quarantine and inspection (AQI) services, the agency said in a news release. The agency is removing a 3.5% surcharge put in place in 2015 for commercial trucks and truck transponders, international air passengers and international cruise ship passengers, in response to a court decision that found the APHIS no longer has the authority to implement the increase. The amended fees take effect Dec. 1. “Please note that these fee changes do not affect [CBP] fees collected concurrently with certain AQI fees listed above, such as those fees applicable to commercial trucks, although the overall amount to be tendered in such transactions will change accordingly."
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing changes to import conditions for table grapes from Chile, it said in a notice released Oct. 14. Under the changes, table grapes from Chile could be imported under a systems approach or using irradiation treatment for the European grapevine moth and Chilean false red mite if they are from areas with a very low prevalence of those pests. Current mitigation measures for the Medfly would remain unchanged. “The systems approach would provide an alternative to the current import requirement of mandatory treatment with methyl bromide fumigation,” APHIS said in an emailed update. Comments are due Dec. 16.
Trade participants in the 21st Century Customs Framework “focus group” are set to meet with CBP and other government officials Oct. 17 and 18 to discuss a series of proposed statutory changes developed over recent weeks that aim to incorporate facilitation measures into upcoming customs modernization legislation.