The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is adding Cyprus to its list of regions that are free of foot-and-mouth disease, rinderpest and swine vesicular disease, and its list of regions considered free or low-risk for classical swine fever, it said in a notice (here). The determination, which takes effect June 8, loosens restrictions on importation of swine, pork, and pork products from Cyprus.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service recently created a new website (here) to provide guidance for businesses and individuals that import wooden handicrafts from China, it said (here). The website includes information on how to meet APHIS regulatory requirements, the types of wood products that APHIS considers a handicraft and points of contact for wooden handicraft issues. Also included is the list of approved manufacturers of wooden handicrafts from China (see 1703030014), as well as the criteria manufacturers must meet to be added to the list.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is prohibiting the entry of all fresh cherries from the Canadian province of Ontario, effective immediately, it said in a federal order dated May 23 (here). The agency is taking the action because of multiple detections of the European cherry fruit fly in the province, it said. The prohibition covers imports of black cherry, mahaleb cherry, sour cherry and sweet cherry, as well as wild fruits of the genera Prunus and Lonicera, APHIS said. Imports from all Canadian provinces other than Ontario are still allowed, but must have their origin verified by shipping documents (such as a bill of lading) or “other proof of origin acceptable to APHIS,” it said. Cherries that have been frozen, canned, cooked, dehydrated, jellied, juiced or pickled are also still allowed from all Canadian provinces, APHIS said in an emailed update (here).
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will hold three public meetings in June to discuss its proposed changes to regulations on importation, interstate movement and release of genetically engineered (GE) organisms, it said (here). The proposed rule, issued in January (see 1701180058), would modify current definitions of what is a GE organism, as well as the criteria used by APHIS to judge whether it regulates GE organisms based on the risk of introduction of plant pests or noxious weeds. Time-limited import permits would be eliminated, as would current notification procedures. The meetings will be held in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 6, Davis, California, on June 13, and Riverdale, Maryland, on June 16. Comments on the proposed changes are due June 19 (see 1702090017).
The Agriculture Department is creating a position for an under secretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced on May 11 (here). The 2014 Farm Bill mandated the new position, which will oversee the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and will chair an interagency trade committee including FAS, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Food Safety Inspection Service, the Agricultural Marketing Service and the Federal Grain Inspection Service, USDA said in a report notifying Congress of the new position (here). The under secretary also will meet regularly with the USDA under secretary for food safety and under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs on trade issues requiring regulatory involvement and support.
A recent Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service final rule allowing importation of lemons from northwest Argentina into the continental U.S. (see 1612230018) won't be delayed any further, the agency said May 1 (here). Argentine lemons can be imported into only the Northeastern U.S. during 2017 and 2018, the agency said. The final rule, which was originally set to take effect Jan. 23 (see 1612230018) but was delayed twice, will "go into effect when the stay expires on May 26," APHIS said. The final rule was delayed until March 27 to comply with a memorandum issued by the Trump administration to all executive branch agencies (see 1701230031) and later delayed again to May 26 (see 1703230019). Conditions for importation include registration of places of production and packinghouses, grove sanitation and monitoring, treatment and inspection. Lemons must be harvested green or treated for the Mediterranean fruit fly, and must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Argentine government. The Agriculture Department will work with "Argentina’s National Food Safety and Quality Service (SENASA) to finalize the operational work plan described in the final regulation," APHIS said.
Fiscal year 2017 spending legislation expected to be voted on by the House Appropriations Committee on May 3 contains language to provide ICE $15 million to investigate intellectual property rights violations, including operation of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, as well as $6 million for ICE enforcement of laws against child labor, according to a House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee report on the bill (here). Those funds are expended through ICE’s operations and support account, which House appropriators are proposing to fund at $6.2 billion in FY 2017, $900 million less than President Donald Trump’s March request (see 1703160022). The legislation (here) would also add $31 million to the CBP operations and support account for FY 2017, an amount which could be offset by amounts collected from outside entities for preclearance operations.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is further delaying until May 26 the effective date of a recent final rule allowing importation of lemons from northwest Argentina into the continental U.S., it said (here). The final rule, which was originally set to take effect Jan. 23 (see 1612230018), was delayed until March 27 to comply with a memorandum issued by the Trump administration to all executive branch agencies (see 1701230031). APHIS now says it needs more time to consider stakeholder input it received after the first delay.
CBP will test automated processing of maritime processing fees as part of a revenue modernization effort, the agency said (here). "These changes will enable CBP personnel to collect payment and issue electronic eReceipts quickly and efficiently, while providing the trade with the ability to pay maritime processing fees online," CBP said. Fees to be automated in the pilot include "Animal and Plant Health Inspection (APHIS) fees, CBP user fees (barge/bulk carriers and commercial vessel), Navigation fees and Tonnage Taxes, Special Tax and Light Money," CBP said in a frequently asked questions publication about the pilot (here). There will be two phases as part of the modernization, CBP said.
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for Feb. 27 - March 3 in case they were missed.