The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing a change to its procedures for setting fruit and vegetable import requirements. Under the proposed rule, APHIS would no longer go through a normal rulemaking process for changes to import requirements. Instead, the agency would simply publish a notice in the Federal Register advising the public of the change. APHIS would still give the public a chance to comment before changes are made through publication of a “pest risk analysis” document detailing the agency’s scientific rationale. Comments on the proposed rule are due Nov. 10.

On Sept. 4 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:

The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Special Import Quota #4 for upland cotton that will be established on Sept. 11, allowing importation of 14,741,821 kilograms (67,709 bales) of upland cotton. It will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Dec. 9, and entered into the U.S. by March 9, 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.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is almost done working through an enforcement backlog and has reduced the investigation timeline by nearly half over the past three years, according to a message to stakeholders from APHIS Administrator Kevin Shea. In 2011, APHIS had about 2,100 open regulatory violation cases, but that number has dropped by 80 percent to about 410. Having worked through the backlog, APHIS’ Investigation and Enforcement Services division is now able to process new cases immediately, reducing the time it takes to investigate and take action on an alleged violation from 632 to 328 days, said Shea.

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

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is phasing in new electronic shipping labels with barcodes for Plant Protection and Quarantine and Biotechnology Regulatory Services permits, it said on Sept. 4. To save time and cost, APHIS will email the labels as a PDF so they don’t have to be put in the mail, it said. APHIS will send new labels “within minutes” of an approved label request, and additional shipping labels can be requested as needed by email. The labels will include detailed shipping instructions, and can be forwarded electronically to exporters, said APHIS.

On Sept. 2 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will allow imports of litchi and longan fruit from Vietnam into the Continental U.S., it said in a final rule that takes effect Oct. 6. Importation of the fruit will be subject to certain conditions, including irradiation treatment, labeling, and a phytosanitary certificate from the Vietnamese government. Importation and distribution will not be allowed in the State of Florida, said APHIS.

The Department of Agriculture announced the establishment of the raw and refined and specialty sugar import tariff rate quotas for fiscal year 2015 (Oct. 1, 2014 -- Sept. 30, 2015).

On Aug. 29 - Sept. 1 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports: