The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing to allow imports of citrus fruit from additional regions in Australia, it said in a notice released Dec. 16. The agency intends to 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. Comments are due to APHIS by Feb. 15, 2021.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service released on Nov. 25 a notice listing ongoing international sanitary and phytosanitary standard-setting activities of the World Organization for Animal Health, the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention and the North American Plant Protection Organization. Comments on the standards being considered may be submitted at any time, APHIS said.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will allow imports of cold-treated citrus fruit from South Africa into all U.S. ports, it said in a notice released Nov. 4. Previously, citrus from South Africa was allowed into only four U.S. ports with cold treatment facilities, the agency said. The change takes effect Nov. 5.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service intends to remove restrictions on the importation of poultry from the Neuchatel and Ticino cantons of Switzerland, it said in a notice published Oct. 26. After having announced the restrictions in 2017 following detection in the cantons of Newcastle disease, APHIS has now reassessed the cantons and found that they have effectively controlled and eradicated the poultry virus. “Based on the results of the reassessment, APHIS recommends reinstating the Cantons Neuchatel and Ticino onto the list of regions in which ND is not known to exist,” it said. Comments are due Dec. 28.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is lifting fumigation requirements for blueberries imported from two regions in Chile, it said in a notice released Oct. 7. Blueberries imported from Chile's regions VIII and XVI will no longer require methyl bromide fumigation, and are now instead eligible for importation under a systems approach that includes requirements for inspections and a phytosanitary certificate from the Chilean government. The notice takes effect Oct. 8.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is eliminating restrictions on imports of pine shoot beetle host materials from Canada, including cut pine Christmas trees and other articles containing pine bark, it said in a final rule released Sept. 30. APHIS is removing quarantine requirements for domestic interstate transport of pine shoot beetle hosts, rendering the regulations covering imports from Canada obsolete, APHIS said. Regulations under 7 CFR 319.40-5(m) that are now to be eliminated under this final rule required that imports from Canada be accompanied by statements and certificates showing the origin of regulated articles and the places through which they were moved, as well as fumigation requirements in some circumstances. The final rule takes effect Nov. 2.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is adding Papua New Guinea to its list of regions subject to import restrictions on pork and pork products because it is affected by African swine fever, it said in a notice released Sept. 29. Restrictions take effect retroactively to April 1, 2020.