The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing an overhaul of its regulations on importation and other movements of genetically engineered organisms. Under the proposed rule, importers would have the choice of either an APHIS review pre-importation to determine whether a permit is necessary, or just applying for a permit. Developers of GE organisms would also be able to self-determine that their GE organism is exempt, though invalid self-determinations would be subject to penalties.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will continue trade in swine products "in the event African swine fever (ASF) is reported in either country," the chief veterinary officers from both countries said in a joint statement. "For business continuity, Canada and the United States have worked to modify their export certificates to allow trade of live swine, swine semen, pet food and animal by-products and meat to continue trade in approved disease-free zones in the event of an ASF outbreak," the CVOs said. The two countries previously set out principles for trade and zoning to help slow the spread of diseases.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing to eliminate the requirement that carnation cuttings imported from Kenya be quarantined upon arrival in the U.S. under certain conditions, it said in a notice. Currently, carnation (Dianthus spp.) cuttings are exempt from postentry quarantine when imported from Canada, and are conditionally exempt from quarantine when imported from Great Britain or the Netherlands. APHIS is proposing to also conditionally exempt Kenyan carnation cuttings, subject to conditions including registration of greenhouses and growers, growing requirements, inspections and a phytosanitary certificate from the Kenyan government. Comments are due July 8.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is finalizing changes to its regulations on the importation of peppers from South Korea, it said. The final rule increases the mesh size of the screening over vent openings in South Korean greenhouses from 0.6 mm to 1.6 mm, provided that sticky traps are used as an additional measure for pest monitoring. The change in mesh size was requested by the South Korean government. The new requirements take effect May 9.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service may allow the importation of peppers from Colombia, it said in a notice. The agency has issued a draft pest risk analysis that recommends that imports be allowed, with certain conditions, including packing requirements, phytosanitary certificates from the Colombian government, registration of production locations, and port of entry inspections, among other things. Comments on the draft pest risk analysis are due July 8.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is considering allowing imports of mamey sapote, mombin, sapodilla and soursop fruits from Mexico. The agency is recommending in four pest risk analyses that imports be allowed subject to certain conditions, including phytosanitary treatment in the form of radiation, a phytosanitary certificate from the Mexican government and port of entry inspections. Comments on the draft pest risk analyses are due July 1.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service may allow the importation of certain citrus fruits from China, it said in a notice. The agency has issued a draft pest risk analysis that recommends imports of pomelo, Nanfeng honey mandarin, ponkan, sweet orange, and Satsuma mandarin be allowed, with certain conditions including an import permit, phytosanitary certificate from the Chinese government, registration of production locations and packinghouses, and port of entry inspections, among other things. Comments on the draft pest risk analysis are due July 1.
APHIS Still in Planning Phases for Mandatory APHIS Core in ACE, Will Set Up Help Desk for Transition
SAN ANTONIO -- The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will set up a range of outreach options, including a help desk, to assist importers, customs brokers and software developers with the upcoming mandatory use of the APHIS “Core” partner government agency message set in ACE, said Dr. Vivek Kamath of APHIS at the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America's annual conference April 16. The agency is still in the “planning phases” for the move and the “final timeline is not yet decided,” Kamath said.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing to revise existing requirements for importing fragrant pears from the Korla region of Xinjiang, China, and also allow imports of fragrant pears from the Akesu region of Xinjiang, it said in a notice. Comments are due June 17.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is seeking comments by May 10 on using a "standardized set of pest risk mitigations for routine market requests to import plants in approved growing media," the agency said in an April 9 new release. The use of a "programmatic environmental assessment would eliminate the need to prepare a unique environmental assessment for each routine market request, thereby making the process for approving imports of plants in approved growing media simpler and more efficient," APHIS said in a notice. Most pest mitigation measures APHIS proposes are very similar and a default mitigation structure "would ensure continued levels of safeguarding while facilitating international trade, allowing healthier plant imports, reducing the growing time for plants to reach markets, reducing unnecessary or repetitive environmental and other documentation, and increasing the speed of port of entry inspections," it said. The agency also posted a draft version of the programmatic environmental assessment.