APHIS Approves SPF as Lacey Declaration Shorthand Term
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued new guidance announcing that Spruce Pine Fir (abbreviated SPF) is an approved shorthand term for the Lacey Act declaration, in circumstances where the list of possible species to declare includes all species in the Common Trade Grouping “SPF”.
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Enter Genus as “Special” and Species as “SPF”
The importer may use the shorthand “SPF” by declaring the genus as “Special” and the species as “SPF.” Again, APHIS states that this shorthand is for circumstances where the list of possible species in a particular product includes all species in the approved Common Trade Grouping -- SPF.
According to APHIS sources, there is only one Common Trade Grouping allowed to date, the one for the shorthand term “SPF”. (APHIS has previously stated that SPF is a common grade of lumber manufactured from varying proportions of spruce, pine, or fir species in Canada.)
APHIS provides information on this Common Trade Grouping, and lists its species members as follows:
SPF (Eastern and Western Species)
SPF is a common grade of lumber manufactured from varying proportions of spruce, pine or fir species. SPF imports are a combination of several distinct species, but identifying the particular species in any individual shipment would be difficult.
The Common Trade Grouping “SPF” consists of:
| Abies amabilis | Larix occidentalis |
| Abies balsamea | Picea englemannii |
| Abies concolor | Picea glauca |
| Abies grandis | Picea mariana |
| Abies lasiocarpa | Picea rubens |
| Abies procera | Pinus banksiana |
| Larix laricina | Pinus contorta |
(The Lacey Act, as amended, requires that the declaration contain both the genus and species of the imported plant material. The Act also requires that if a species is unknown, the declaration should contain a list of all the possible species that may be present in the product. In a September 9, 2009 Federal Register notice, APHIS stated that it was considering an approach that would allow shorthand group designations, such as SPF.)
(See ITT’s Online Archives or 09/02/09 news, 09090205, for BP summary of APHIS notice on group designations, the declaration enforcement schedule, etc.)
APHIS “Guidance on the Usage of Common Trade Groupings (posting date of 06/9/10)