Trade associations representing various industries have submitted comments largely in support of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's June 2011 ANPR proposals to address problems that have arisen with the implementation of the Lacey Act declaration requirement for imported plants and plant products. APHIS’ proposals include, among other things, a “de minimis” exception for small amounts of plant materials.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has updated the following PPQ electronic manuals as of September 21, 2011 (since the last update on September 6):
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has posted a three-question decision chart for determining "Do I need to Declare my Shipment Under the Lacey Act?" Question (1) is "does it contain plant material?", Question (2) "is it a formal entry?", and Question (3) "is the HTS Code on the Schedule?"
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has posted a “filled-out” sample of its August 2011 PPQ 505 Form (Lacey Act Declaration) for imported plants and plant products. The sample involves certain solid wood chairs.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is announcing that it has received a request from the Government of Australia to recognize new areas of that country as being free of Ceratitis capitata (the Mediterranean fruit fly, Medfly) and other areas as being free of Bactrocera tryoni (the Queensland fruit fly). Comments are due by October 20, 2011.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a final rule, effective October 7, 2011, amending the regulations regarding the commercial transportation of equines to slaughter. The rule adds a definition of equine for slaughter and makes other changes in order to extend the protections afforded by the regulations to equines bound for slaughter but delivered first to an assembly point, feedlot, or stockyard. APHIS notes that since 2007, no commercial equine slaughter facilities have operated in the U.S. However, the amended regulations will apply to entities that transport equines within the U.S. for slaughter in Canada or Mexico.
Broker Power is providing readers with some of the top stories for September 6-9, 2011 in case they were missed last week.
The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a final rule, effective September 12, 2011, which amends the Export Administration Regulations (15 CFR Parts 740, 742, and 774) to implement a decision adopted under the Australia Group (AG) intersessional silent approval procedures in November 2010.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has updated the following PPQ electronic manuals as of September 6, 2011 (since September 1):
Officials at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service have made available a “Lacey Act Updates” presentation, which provides an overview of the 2008 Lacey Act Amendments, and what the agency views as the challenges and common problems in completing the Lacey Declaration (PPQ 505) for imported plants and plant products.1