The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes Oct. 24 to Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) electronic manuals. While some changes are minor, other changes may affect the admissibility of the plant products, including fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is amending its regulations on the importation of unshu oranges from Japan to harmonize them with U.S. citrus quarantine regulations (here). The changes remove requirements for unshu oranges from Japan to be grown in specified canker-free export areas with buffer zones, as well as for joint inspection at groves and packinghouses by the government of Japan and APHIS. The agency is also “clarifying” that surface sterilization is required for unshu oranges from Japan, as well as a phytosanitary certificate that says surface sterilization has occurred. The final rule takes effect Nov. 26.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- A wide-ranging update to the trade-related regulations of agencies outside CBP may not be possible by the 2016 deadline for completion of the International Trade Data System (ITDS), said CBP Office of International Trade Commissioner Brenda Smith. "People rarely want to change regulations," she said Oct. 17 at the Western Cargo Conference. "My guess is that, there is a lot more work than we are going to be able to get to by 2016," she said. Still, the Border Interagency Executive Council is already discussing ways to make improvements, such as aligning differing definitions between CBP and the Food and Drug Administration for unique identifiers and port facilities, she said.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes Oct. 17 to Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) electronic manuals. While some changes are minor, other changes may affect the admissibility of the plant products, including fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
CBP is putting together a Lacey Act import working group to consider the technical requirements necessary for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to take part in the International Trade Data System, said CBP in a CSMS message. The Lacey Act working group, to be part of the Trade Support Network, "consists of members of the trade whose businesses are regulated by the APHIS Lacey Act Program, trade software developers who support the business processes, as well as representatives from the Lacey Act Program," and CBP, it said. Those interested in participating should email Frank Korpusik at frank.j.korpusik@cbp.dhs.gov by Oct. 24, said CBP.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes Oct. 15 to Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) electronic manuals. While some changes are minor, other changes may affect the admissibility of the plant products, including fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is asking for comments by Dec. 15 on a proposal to allow importation of kiwi fruit from Chile. Under the agency’s proposed rule, kiwis would have to be grown at a farm registered with the Chilean government and certified to have a low prevalence of Brevipalpus chilensis. The fruit would then have to be inspected and issued a phytosanitary certificate that it has been found free of the Brevipalpus chilensis.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will allow importation of chipilin leaves and edible flowers of chufle, izote, and pacaya from Guatemala into the continental U.S., it said in a notice that takes effect Oct. 16. In order to qualify, each shipment must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate from the Guatemalan government, and will be subject to inspection at the U.S. port of entry.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes Oct. 8 to Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) electronic manuals. While some changes are minor, other changes may affect the admissibility of the plant products, including fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will allow the importation of bananas from the Philippines into Hawaii and two U.S. territories in the Pacific, it said in a final rule that takes effect Nov. 10. Under the new regulations, Philippine bananas may be imported into Hawaii, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands provided they are monitored and inspected for fruit flies and accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate from the government of the Philippines. Only hard green bananas may be harvested, and they must be shipped in commercial consignments. APHIS authorized importation of Philippine bananas into the continental U.S. under similar restrictions in February 2013 (see 13020620).