The Animal and Plant Health Inspection will no longer accept copies of phytosanitary certificates and forms as of Jan. 1, it said. The agency had been accepting copies to ease burdens on importers of plant commodities during the COVID-19 pandemic, but will as of the new year only accept original phytosanitary certificates, APHIS said. APHIS also will still continue to accept electronic phytosanitary certificates shared government-to-government through the ePhyto system for participating countries, and “a paper certificate would not need to be presented for cargo clearance by U.S. officials if the certificate is an ePhyto with a proper declaration in the APHIS Core message set using the PG13/14 code AE1,” the agency said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Dec. 2 that Special Import Quota #7 for upland cotton will be established Dec. 9, allowing importation of 9,434,076 kilograms (43,330 bales) of upland cotton, down from 10,024,400 kilograms (46,041 bales) in the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than March 8, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by June 6, 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 Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is amending its regulations on imports of sheep and goats to remove bovine spongiform encephalopathy-related import restrictions. The agency’s final rule, released Dec. 2, ends BSE restrictions on live sheep and goats and most sheep and goat products. APHIS said the restrictions were originally put in place prior to “extensive research” that shows sheep and goats “pose a minimal risk of spreading BSE.” At the same time, APHIS is updating its scrapie requirements for importing live sheep and goats and their germplasm, requiring that any live sheep or goats not transported directly to slaughter, or to a designated feedlot and then to slaughter, must originate from a scrapie-free country or flock with a herd certification program equivalent to the U.S. Scrapie Flock Certification Program. APHIS is also adding transmissible spongiform encephalopathy import restrictions for certain wild, zoological and other non-bovine ruminant species, and will allow imports of such species on a case-by-case basis. The final rule takes effect Jan. 3, 2022.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Nov. 26 that Special Import Quota #6 for upland cotton will be established Dec. 2, allowing importation of 10,024,400 kilograms (46,041 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than March 1, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by May 30, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the July through September 2021 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
Canada suspended exports of potatoes to the U.S. from Prince Edward Island, including table stock potatoes and processing potatoes, following the detection of potato wart in the province, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Nov. 22. The suspension, which took effect Nov. 21, does not affect processed potatoes, such as frozen products. Movement of seed potatoes from Prince Edward Island to the U.S. has been suspended since Nov. 2.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Nov. 19 that Special Import Quota #5 for upland cotton will be established Nov. 25, allowing importation of 10,024,400 kilograms (46,041 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Feb. 22, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by May 23, 2022. Special Import Quota #4 for upland cotton was announced Nov. 12. Established Nov. 18, the quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Feb. 15, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by May 16, 2022. The allowed amount in the #4 and #5 quotas are the same as the previous quota period. The #4 and #5 quotas are equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the July through September 2021 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will allow importation of mangoes from Colombia into the United States, it said in a notice released Nov. 19. Conditions include a hot water or irradiation treatment and inspections. Shipments must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate from the Colombian government. APHIS said imports of mangoes from Colombia may be authorized beginning Nov. 22.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is allowing imports of pummelo from Thailand, subject to certain conditions, it said. The citrus fruit will be subject to a systems approach that would include irradiation treatment, packinghouse processing requirements and port of entry inspections. It also has to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Thai government. Pummelo from Thailand may be authorized for importation after Nov. 10, APHIS said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Nov. 4 that Special Import Quota #3 for upland cotton will be established Nov. 11, allowing importation of 10,024,400 kg (46,041 bales) of upland cotton, down from 10,773,610 kg (49,482 bales) in the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Feb. 8, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by May 9, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the July through September 2021 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service loosened conditions for imports of melons from Japan, it said in a notice released Nov. 5. The agency will allow imports of melons with stems into the entire U.S., it said. Previously, fresh melon fruit with stems was authorized for import only into Hawaii, and fresh cantaloupe and honeydew melons with stems were allowed to be imported only into Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands from certain Japanese regions. Imports may be authorized into all U.S ports beginning Nov. 8, APHIS said.