The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a notice, effective December 16, 2011, advising the public of its decision to authorize the importation into the continental U.S. of fresh Cape gooseberry fruit (Physalis peruviana L.) with husks from Chile. APHIS has concluded, based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, that 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 via the importation of fresh Cape gooseberry fruit from Chile.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is reopening the comment period until January 17, 2012 for its proposed rule that would amend and republish the list of select agents and toxins that have the potential to pose a severe threat to animal or plant health, or to animal or plant products. The rule would also reorganize the list of select agents and toxins based on the relative potential of each select agent or toxin to be misused to adversely affect human, plant, or animal health. The rule would also amend the regulations in order to add definitions and clarify language concerning security, training, biosafety, biocontainment, and incident response.
Broker Power is providing readers with some of the top stories for December 5-9, 2011 in case they were missed last week.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced that effective December 4, 2011, Kevin Harriger is its new executive director for agriculture inspection programs at the Office of Field Operations. Prior to assuming his duties as executive director, Harriger was the deputy executive director for CBP’s office of Agriculture Operational Oversight. He transferred from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) unit to CBP at the creation of the Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003. (CBP press release dated 12/09/11)
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has updated the following PPQ electronic manuals through December 9, 2011 (since the last update dated November 28):
The following are details of the “Beyond the Border” Action Plan agreed to by President Obama and Prime Minister Harper on December 7, 2011. The plan includes specific actions and 2012-2014 target dates to achieve goals such as: (i) common data elements for advance cargo screening; (ii) mutual recognition of air cargo security programs for passenger aircraft; (iii) attempted alignment of Canada’s Customs Self Assessment (CSA) and the U.S. Importer Self Assessment (ISA) programs; (iv) assessment on ways to move wood packaging material inspections away from the border; etc.
Officials at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service state that the interagency report to Congress on the Lacey Act declaration is still not ready to be submitted to Congress, and is not expected by year’s end. However, officials state that the final rule to define two categories of products that are exempt from the Lacey Act Declaration -- common cultivar and common food crop -- is nearing completion.
On November 16, 2011, U.S. Customs and Border Protection took its trade mission to Congress, showcasing the agency’s multifaceted trade, international and agriculture programs at the second annual International Trade Capitol Hill Day. CBP officials explained to Capitol Hill staffers that “textiles account for five percent of imports and 43 percent of duty revenues collected,” as well as the agency’s efforts to validate the security of importers’ global supply chains to ensure national security and expedite trade. International partnerships that facilitate much of international trade were also highlighted. CBP was joined at the event by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has updated the following PPQ electronic manuals through November 28, 2011 (since the last update dated November 9):
Broker Power is providing readers with some of the top stories for November 21-23, 2011 in case they were missed last week. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.