The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has updated the following PPQ electronic manuals dated through October 31, 2011 (since the last update on October 24):
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has announced the availability of ePermits for public use by applicants seeking import or transit permits for live animals. Users with an existing Level 2 eAuthentication can access ePermits to create and submit a completed application for an import or transit permit for APHIS-regulated live animals and their germplasm, or genetic resources.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a press release reporting its progress in fulfilling its agriculture mission and advancing inspection processes. For example, CBP caught the Asian gypsy moth (AGM) 20 times in 2009; in mid-October 2011 the annual number was 22. As a result of the increased interceptions in 2009, APHIS began an AGM Inspection Certification program for international vessels that visit high risk countries. CBP also created a Khapra beetle training program for CBP agricultural specialists, and in fiscal year 2011, made 194 Khapra beetle interceptions. To deal with potential agriculture-related emergency scenarios, APHIS and CBP convened a group of experts to identify and propose emergency responses. The plan just received final approval and is being coordinated for a joint agency roll-out.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a final rule, effective December 5, 2011, to amend the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the importation of French beans and runner beans from Kenya into the U.S. As a condition of entry, both commodities will have to be produced in accordance with a systems approach that would include requirements for packing, washing, and processing. Both commodities would also be required to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate attesting that all phytosanitary requirements have been met and that the consignment was inspected and found free of quarantine pests.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a final rule, effective December 2, 201, amending the regulations governing the importation of plant and plant products to add Bromeliad plants of the genera Aechmea, Cryptanthus, Guzmania, Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, Tillandsia, and Vriesea from Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands to the list of plants that may be imported into the U.S. in an approved growing medium, subject to specified growing, inspection, and certification requirements. APHIS is taking this action in response to requests from those three countries and after determining that the plants can be imported, under certain conditions, without resulting in the introduction into, or the dissemination within, the U.S. of a plant pest or noxious weed.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a proposed rule to provide conditions for the importation into the continental U.S. of Dracaena plants from Costa Rica that are less than 460 mm in length (currently allowed to be imported) and plants over 460 mm and up to 1,371.6 mm in length (currently prohibited). As a condition of entry, Dracaena plants from Costa Rica would have to be produced in accordance with pest risk management measures, including registration of places of production and packinghouses, a pest management plan, inspection for quarantine pests, sanitation, and traceability. The plants would also need to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating that all import conditions have been met and that the consignment of plants has been inspected and found free of quarantine pests. Comments are due December 30, 2011.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has updated the following PPQ electronic manuals as of October 24, 2011 (since the last update on September 29):
At the October 4, 2011 COAC meeting, COAC’s “One U.S. Government at the Border” Subcommittee gave an update on its work on identifying redundancies with CBP and PGA requests for documents/data and considering the use of a single document imaging system between trade, CBP, and PGAs involved in the import process. In addition, CBP has posted a document on its “One U.S. Government at the Border” initiative.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service recently issued a notice advising the public that on October 17, 2011, it would implement a risk-based sampling approach for the inspection of imported plants for planting at ports of entry.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a proposed rule to allow the importation into the continental United States of litchi and longan fruit from Vietnam, subject to a systems approach that would include requirements for treatment and inspection and restrictions on the distribution of the fruit. Written comments are due by December 27, 2011.