On Oct. 3 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes Oct. 3 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 announced changes Oct. 1-3 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 Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Special Import Quota #8 for upland cotton that will be established on Oct. 9, allowing importation of 14,741,821 kilograms (67,709 bales) of upland cotton. It will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Jan. 6, 2015, and entered into the U.S. by April 6, 2015. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally-adjusted average rate for the period March through May, the most recent three months for which data are available.

A U.S. produce group on Oct. 2 railed against Canada's failure to implement a dispute settlement mechanism for perishable goods exports. Due to that failure, the Department of Agriculture decided, effective Oct. 1, to revoke some legal protections for Canadian exporters awarded under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. The protections are “a critical payment recovery tool for both U.S. and Canadian produce shippers who deal with highly perishable commodities,” said the Western Growers produce association, saying the move puts Canadian exporters on the same playing field as all other exporters to the U.S. The decision, effective Oct. 1, marks a “big blow” to Canadian industry, said the Western Growers statement. Canadian exporters must now provide a surety bond before USDA will allow those exporters to formally seek reparations, according to a USDA letter to its Canadian counterpart published by Western Growers (here). The U.S. agency called on Canada to implement an equivalent dispute settlement mechanism in order to have the legal protections restored. Western Growers said it is working with other producers and USDA to pressure Canada to put that equivalent mechanism into place.

The Agricultural Marketing Service is proposing to increase from 1,000 to 2,000 pounds the de minimis exception under which “Irish”-type Potatoes can be imported without having to meet grade, size, quality or maturity requirements. The proposed rule would allow importation of up to 2000 pounds of all round-type potatoes, except round red-skinned or long-type potatoes, without regard to the AMS import regulations. Comments are due Dec. 5.

On Oct. 1 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:

On Sept. 30 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes Sept. 30 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 opening up more of the Philippines to importers of mangoes into the continental U.S., after expanding the area it deems to be free of mango seed weevil and mango pulp weevil in a final rule issued Oct. 1. The agency is also lowering the dose of irradiation required as treatment for mango pulp weevil. The final rule takes effect Oct. 1.