CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
As the sixth implementation phase of Lacey Act declaration requirements for plants and plant products approaches Oct. 1, officials with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service reminded importers and exporters that more phases are to come before the agency meets its statutorily required goal of subjecting all plants and plant products to Lacey Act enforcement.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will require importers to apply for import permits for several types of plants and seeds in eFile, rather than the agency's ePermits system, beginning Sept. 27, APHIS said. On that date, importers must apply or reapply in eFile for Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) import permits for plants for propagation, bonsai, obscured seed, small lots of seed, plants in growing media, preclearance bulbs and dormant perennials, and articles not for propagation or planting. “All ePermits data will not be transferred to APHIS eFile,” APHIS said. “You will need to reapply in APHIS eFile to obtain a new permit.”
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced new entry requirements for Canadian strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and roses to prevent the introduction of the strawberry blossom weevil, a berry pest. Effective Sept. 14, entries of Fragaria spp., Rosa spp., and Rubus spp. plants produced in Canada must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating the plants have been produced and certified as having been produced in a pest-free production site for strawberry blossom weevil, and have been inspected and found free of the pest, APHIS said.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is loosening requirements on importation of bovines and bovine products from Ecuador and Serbia, it said in a notice released Aug. 30. APHIS will classify Ecuador as having controlled risk, and Serbia as having negligible risk, of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, concurring with recommendations recently issued by the World Organization for Animal Health, the agency said. The countries had previously not been classified as having either controlled or negligible risk for BSE.
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from Aug. 16-20 in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
APHIS Updates Animal Import Regs to Reflect Brexit, Treats Great Britain Differently From N. Ireland
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is updating its animal and animal product regulations to reflect the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union, it said Aug. 16. Effective on that date, its revised regulations will treat Great Britain, consisting of England, Scotland and Wales, as separate from Northern Ireland in various lists and definitions. Because of Northern Ireland’s intention to continue to follow EU animal health regulations and policies, it will be treated the same as EU member states. Great Britain will continue to be subject to the same treatment that previously applied to the United Kingdom for an interim period, and APHIS will publish another notice when that interim period ends, the agency said. APHIS is also amending its definition of the EU to add Croatia as a member state, it said.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will allow imports of citrus fruit from additional regions in Australia, it said Aug. 18. The agency will immediately allow in citrus fruits from the inland region of Queensland, the shires of Bourke and Narromine in New South Wales, and all of Western Australia, in addition to the already authorized regions of Riverina in New South Wales, the Riverland region of South Australia and Northwest Victoria's Sunraysia region. Imports from the three new regions will still require treatment in some cases, and must be accompanied by phytosanitary certificates.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service added Croatia, Senegal and Algeria to the list of regions it considers to be affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) effective, respectively, Nov. 25, 2020; Jan. 12, 2021; and Feb. 10, 2021, it said in an Aug. 9 notice.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters: