The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a final rule, effective May 15, 2006, which amends its nursery stock regulations at 7 CFR Part 319 to allow the importation of small lots of seed under an import permit with specific conditions, as an alternative to the current phytosanitary certificate requirement.
The Animal and Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a proposed rule to amend its domestic quarantine regulations in 7 CFR Part 301 in order to establish a process by which a State or political subdivision of a State could request approval to impose prohibitions or restrictions on the movement in interstate commerce of specific articles, that are in addition to the prohibitions and restrictions imposed by APHIS.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a notice which adds Jordan to the list of countries from which the importation of certain birds and bird products are temporarily banned in order to protect poultry and humans in the U.S. from the possible spread of avian influenza (Influenza A, H5N1).
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has updated certain of its posted information on various countries' implementation and enforcement of ISPM 15 treatment and marking requirements for wood packaging material (WPM).
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a proposed rule that would make several changes to the exotic Newcastle disease (END) domestic quarantine regulations. In addition, the proposed rule contains one change to the importation regulations.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a final rule, effective March 7, 2006, which amends 7 CFR Part 319 to allow certain types of peppers grown in approved registered production sites in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua to be imported, under certain conditions, into the U.S. without treatment.
The Journal of Commerce reports that mishandling of hazmat cargo is an industry-wide problem and cites several accidents in recent years involving containerized shipments of hazmats. According to the article, National Cargo Bureau statistics show that about one-fifth of the containers that it inspects are found to have deficiencies such as improper blocking and bracing, damaged containers or improper documentation. (JoC, dated 04/03/06, www.joc.com.)
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a press release announcing that on April 3, 2006, it launched ePermits, a new Web-based system to streamline the import process.
According to the Washington File, the USTR has released its 2006 report of unfair trade barriers in foreign countries, called the National Trade Estimate on Foreign Trade Barriers (NTE), where China is listed as having the most barriers, followed by the European Union, Japan, and South Korea. The article notes that most of the problems listed in the 2006 report are the same ones that have appeared in earlier reports. (Washington File (dated 03/31/06), available at http://usinfo.state.gov/eap/Archive/2006/Apr/02-251571.html )
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a press release announcing that on March 31, 2006, it requested World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement consultations with China concerning its unfair treatment of U.S. auto parts. According to the USTR, China recently implemented regulations that impose a tax on imported auto parts (typically 10-14%) equal to the tariff on complete automobiles (typically 28%), if the final assembled vehicles fail to meet certain requirements. (USTR Pub 03/30/06, available at http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2006/March/United_States_Files_WTO_Case_Against_China_Over_Treatment_of_US_Auto_Parts.html)