On May 17, 2010, APHIS updated its Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Import PPQ Manual. The manual lists by country fruits and vegetables that are admissible into the United States. It includes a description of methods for sampling and inspecting selected fruits and vegetables. It also contains pictorial identification guides, and a glossary for common and scientific names of fruits and vegetables. (Manual, updated 05/17/10, available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/downloads/fv.pdf)
On May 17, 2010, APHIS updated the Manual for Agricultural Clearance. The manual provides CBP personnel working at airport and maritime locations with the guidelines, directions, and policy for clearing carriers and passengers/crew and controlling garbage and cargo. (Manual, updated 05/17/10, available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/mac.shtml)
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is correcting its final rule, which amended the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the importation of commercial consignments of tomatoes from the Souss- Massa-Draa region of Morocco into the U.S., to correct the national plant protection organization of Morocco name to the National Office of Food Safety. (D/N APHIS-2008-0017, FR Pub 05/20/10, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-12027.pdf)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a CSMS message on the recently posted Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service notice requiring plant material quantities to be reported on the Lacey Act declaration using standardized metric units (such as kg, m, m2, and m3) effective May 1, 2010.
CBP issued a CSMS message stating that APHIS recently posted a clarification stating that beginning May 1, 2010, APHIS is requiring that plant material quantities be reported on the Lacey Act declaration using standardized metric units (such as kg, m, m2, m3). This change only affects importers using the paper PPQ 505 form, and does not impact any entity filing electronically via ABI. There are no pending programming changes for Lacey Act reporting in ABI. (See ITT’s Online Archives or 05/13/10 news, 10051356, for BP summary of APHIS granting a grace period for the metric requirement.) (CSMS #10-000124, dated 05/18/10, available at http://apps.cbp.gov/csms/viewmssg.asp?Recid=17907&page=&srch_argv=10-000124&srchtype=all&btype=&sortby=&sby)
Various U.S. government agencies are seeking comments on the following information collections for which they have requested or intend to request Office of Management and Budget approval or extension of approval (see notices for specific details):
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has added a sentence to its announcement that a metric unit of measure and quantity is required for the Lacey Act declaration as of May 1, 2010. The new sentence states that in response to industry concerns, APHIS will implement a grace period of two months (ending July 1, 2010), to allow industry to make the needed changes to declaration procedures. (Notice, posted 05/17/10, available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/lacey_act/downloads/ClarificationQuantityandUnitofMeasure.pdf)
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a proposed rule to, among other things, provide for the importation of Hass avocados from Mexico into Puerto Rico under the same current systems for U.S. import from Michoacán, Mexico, which include orchard certification, trace back labeling, port-of-arrival inspection, etc. Comments are due by July 13, 2010. (D/N APHIS-2008-0060, FR Pub 05/14/10, available at http://www.federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2010-11598_PI.pdf)
On April 28, 2010, APHIS updated its Gypsy Moth Program PPQ Manual. This is a prototype of the Gypsy Moth Program Manual. (Manual, updated 04/28/10, available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/domestic/downloads/gypsy_moth.pdf)
On May 10, 2010, APHIS updated its Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Import PPQ Manual. The manual lists by country fruits and vegetables that are admissible into the United States. It includes a description of methods for sampling and inspecting selected fruits and vegetables. It also contains pictorial identification guides, and a glossary for common and scientific names of fruits and vegetables. (Manual, updated 05/10/10, available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/downloads/fv.pdf)