The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes Aug. 20 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 requesting comments by Oct. 20 for an existing information collection on the import of certain plants and plant products, as required by the Lacey Act. APHIS proposes to extend the expiration date of this information collection with a change to the burden hours. While the estimated "number of respondents has decreased, there has been an overall increase in the burden estimates due to an increase in the number declarations completed per respondent," it said.

On Aug. 19 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:

Canada will continue to conduct seed potato tuber inspections and certifications for all seed potato shipments to the U.S. until an alternative process for certification can be implemented by the U.S. and Canada, said the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in a notice emailed to industry on Aug. 19. In a letter sent earlier this month (here), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said continuing inspections and certifications “will ensure that exported Canadian seed potatoes are fully compliant with importing countries’ requirements, including all U.S. federal and state phytosanitary import requirements. CFIA has been conducting all seed potato inspection and certification activities since January 2014, when it discontinued an industry audit-based system in response to U.S. concerns, said APHIS.

On Aug. 18 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:

The Agricultural Marketing Service is asking for comments by Sept. 19 on a possible new standard of identity for honey. A group of domestic honey industry coalitions had requested the Food and Drug Administration set a honey standard in 2006 to address adulteration, but was denied in 2011. AMS sets its own standards for identity, and was directed to report on the possibility of a honey standard by the 2014 Farm Bill. Also, states have recently begun issuing their own honey standards, said AMS. “Inevitable” variation between these state standards could “lead to an assortment of standards that vary from state to state and impede interstate commerce,” it said. Comments should address the standard proposed by honey industry associations in 2006 (here), as well as how a “standard for the identity of honey would be in the interest of consumers, the honey industry, and United States agriculture,” as directed by Congress.

On Aug. 15 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:

On Aug. 14 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:

The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Special Import Quota #1 for upland cotton that will be established on Aug. 21, allowing importation of 14,741,821 kilograms (67,709 bales) of upland cotton. It will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Nov. 18, and entered into the U.S. by Feb. 16, 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 setting new requirements for the importation of dogs, in a final rule that takes effect Nov. 17. The new regulations prohibit the importation of dogs into the continental U.S. or Hawaii for purposes of resale, research, or veterinary treatment, unless the dogs are in good health, have received all necessary vaccinations, and are at least six months of age. An import license will be required, along with health and vaccination certificates. Certain dogs imported for veterinary treatment are exempt from health, vaccination and age requirements, and dogs from British Isles, Australia, Guam, or New Zealand may be imported into Hawaii even if less than six months old.