The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced that it has reached a final decision that the Neuchatel and Ticino cantons of Switzerland are free of Newcastle disease. The change in disease status eliminates certain restrictions for importation of carcasses, meat, parts or products of carcasses, and eggs (other than hatching eggs) of poultry, game birds or other birds from the two cantons. The determination takes effect Jan. 20.
The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America issued a letter on Jan. 14 urging the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to continue accepting copies of phytosanitary certificates to the agency's Document Image System. APHIS twice has extended its temporary policy of accepting copies -- most recently from Jan. 1 to March 31 (see 2112290032) -- which is in place to mitigate challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. "Shuffling thousands of pieces of paper through the supply chain in an otherwise electronic system never made sense in the best of times," the trade group said. "In the current chaos, the prospect is alarming."
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Jan. 13 that Special Import Quota #13 for upland cotton will be established Jan. 20, allowing importation of 9,559,147 kilograms (43,904 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than April 19, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by July 18, 2022. Special Import Quota #12 for upland cotton was announced Jan. 6. Established Jan. 13, the quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than April 12, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by July 11, 2022. The allowed amount in the #12 quota is 9,559,147 kilograms (43,904 bales) of upland cotton, up from 9,434,076 kilograms (43,330 bales) under quota #11. The quotas are equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the September through November 2021 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Dec. 30 that Special Import Quota #11 for upland cotton will be established Jan. 6, allowing importation of 9,434,076 kilograms (43,330 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than April 5, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by July 4, 2022. Special Import Quota #10 for upland cotton was announced Dec. 23. Established Dec. 30, the quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than March 29, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by June 27, 2022. The allowed amount in the #10 and #11 quotas is the same as the previous quota period. The quotas are equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the August through October 2021 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will allow importers a few more months before it begins rejecting copies of phytosanitary certificates for plant commodities, it said Dec. 29. The agency had previously said it would end the policy of accepting copies Jan. 1 (see 2112100059), but now says it will begin accepting only originals on March 31. The policy is in place to mitigate challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the 2022 rates it will charge meat and poultry establishments, egg products plants, and importers and exporters for providing voluntary, overtime and holiday inspection and identification, certification and laboratory services. Effective Jan. 2, the agency's basetime rate will be $67, and its overtime rate $82.60. The 2022 holiday rate will be $98.20, and the laboratory rate will be $85.72. FSIS said the export application fee will be $4.01 per application, unchanged from last year's fee.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing to allow importation of pummelo from Vietnam into the United States, subject to certain phytostanitary requirements, it said in a notice released Dec. 23. Comments are due Feb. 25.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will classify Canada as having Level I risk for both bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis, it said in a notice released Dec. 23. Level I is the least restrictive level in APHIS’s bovine importation scheme, and allows imports of sexually intact bovines without a certificate or other restrictions. Imports under this classification may be authorized beginning Dec. 27.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Dec. 16 that Special Import Quota #9 for upland cotton will be established Dec. 23, allowing importation of 9,434,076 kilograms (43,330 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than March 22, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by June 20, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the August through October 2021 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Dec. 9 that Special Import Quota #8 for upland cotton will be established Dec. 16, allowing importation of 9,434,076 kilograms (43,330 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than March 15, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by June 13, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the August through October 2021 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.