All new and renewal permit applications for live animals and animal products, organisms and vectors must be filed in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s eFile system beginning May 31, the agency said May 16. “All applicants must use the [Veterinary Services Permitting Assistant (VSPA)] to start the permit application,” APHIS said. “Additionally, applicants with existing VS 16-6 permits must renew them using the VSPA to select materials that match the existing permit.” Amendments to existing permits must be requested in the system in which the permits exist, whether ePermits or eFile, APHIS said. “All permits in the ePermits system will remain valid until they expire.”
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is restricting imports of poultry, commercial birds, ratites, avian hatching eggs, unprocessed avian products and byproducts, and certain fresh poultry products from five more zones in Canada, it announced May 12. That comes on top of the 35 zones already restricted by APHIS over the past three months due to concern over highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced May 12 that Special Import Quota #4 for upland cotton will be established May 19, allowing importation of 9,898,391 kilograms (45,462 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Aug. 16, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by Nov. 14, 2022. Special Import Quota #3 for upland cotton was announced May 5. Established May 12, the quota applies to upland cotton purchased not later than Aug. 9, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by Nov. 7, 2022. The allowed amount in the #3 quota is 9,559,147 kilograms (43,904 bales) of upland cotton, down from 10,083,800 kilograms (46,314 bales) under quota #2. The quotas are equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the January through March 2022 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced April 28 that Special Import Quota #2 for upland cotton will be established May 5, allowing importation of 10,083,800 kilograms (46,314 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Aug. 2, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by Oct. 31, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the December 2021 through February 2022 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced April 21 that Special Import Quota #1 for upland cotton will be established April 28, allowing importation of 10,083,800 kilograms (46,314 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than July 26, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by Oct. 24, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the December 2021 through February 2022 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on April 15 released country-by-country reallocations of unused fiscal year 2022 in-quota amounts for the tariff-rate quotas for imported raw cane sugar. "Based on consultations with quota holders, USTR has determined to reallocate 201,551 [metric tons raw value (MTRV)] of the overall FY 2022 raw cane sugar TRQ quantity from those countries that have stated they do not plan to fill their FY 2022 allocated raw cane sugar quantities," it said. Reallocated quantities are as follows: Argentina 11,027; Australia 21,284; Barbados 1,795; Belize 2,821; Bolivia 2,051; Brazil 37,182; Colombia 6,154; Costa Rica 3,846; Dominican Republic 40,000; Ecuador 2,821; El Salvador 6,667; Eswatini (Swaziland) 4,103; Fiji 2,308; Guatemala 12,309; Guyana 3,077; Honduras 2,564; India 2,051; Malawi 2,564; Mauritius 3,077; Mozambique 3,334; Panama 7,437; Peru 10,514; South Africa 5,898; Thailand 3,590; and Zimbabwe 3,077.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced April 14 that Special Import Quota #26 for upland cotton will be established April 21, allowing importation of 10,083,800 kilograms (46,314 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than July 19, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by Oct. 17, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the December 2021 through February 2022 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Agricultural Marketing Service is updating its table of Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheadings and assessment rates for imported potatoes and potato products, it said in a final rule. The agency is also amending its regulations on the potato promotion order “eliminating the need to amend the Plan just to update the list of relevant HTS codes.” Finally, AMS is amending its regulations on approved data sources used to determine the number of Potato Board seats and expanding “payment methods used to remit assessments to include electronic submission.” The final rule takes effect May 16.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing to loosen requirements on importation of bovines and bovine products from Ireland, it said in a notice. APHIS intends to reclassify Ireland as having negligible risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, concurring with recommendations recently issued by the Organization for Animal Health, the agency said. Ireland is currently classified as undetermined for BSE risk, and imports of bovines and bovine products from the country are prohibited. Comments are due June 14.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced April 7 that Special Import Quota #25 for upland cotton will be established April 14, allowing importation of 10,083,800 kilograms (46,314 bales) of upland cotton, down from 10,140,031 kilograms (46,572 bales) in the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than July 12, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by Oct. 10, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the December 2021 through February 2022 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.