The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on Nov. 3 released country-by-country reallocations of unused fiscal year 2021 in-quota amounts for the tariff-rate quotas for imported raw cane sugar. "Based on consultations with quota holders, USTR has determined to reallocate 29,440 MTRV of the overall FY 2021 raw cane sugar TRQ quantity from those countries that have stated they do not plan to fill their FY 2021 allocated raw cane sugar quantities," it said. Reallocated quantities are as follows: Argentina 1,629; Australia 3,145; Belize 417; Bolivia 303; Brazil 5,494; Colombia 909; Costa Rica 568; Dominican Republic 6,668; Ecuador 417; El Salvador 985; Eswatini (Swaziland) 606; Fiji 341; Guatemala 1,819; Guyana 455; Honduras 379; India 303; Malawi 379; Mauritius 455; Mozambique 493; Nicaragua 796; Peru 1,553; South Africa 871; and Zimbabwe 455.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing to loosen import requirements for plums from Chile to allow entry of non-irradiated fruit, it said in a notice released Nov. 2. Following detection of the European grapevine moth in April 2021, APHIS had required irradiation for Chilean plums, and during a two-month window also allowed for entry following a methyl bromide treatment. APHIS now intends to reinstate the methyl bromide treatment option, and will also allow imports for plums grown under a systems approach to mitigation, the agency said. Comments are due Jan. 3.
An uptick in food safety violations found in Australian meat products is minor, and does not raise larger concerns over the overall safety of Australia’s meat inspection system, an FSIS spokesperson said by email in response to a recent report from Food and Water Watch. The advocacy group had said an increase in “zero-tolerance” food safety issues found in random sampling by FSIS should lead to immediate revocation of Australia’s ability to export meat to the U.S. (see 2110270056).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Oct. 28 that Special Import Quota #2 for upland cotton will be established Nov. 4, allowing importation of 10,773,610 kilograms (49,482 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Feb. 1, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by May 2, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the June through August 2021 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is extending until Dec. 31 the entry period for the fiscal year 2021 raw sugar tariff-rate quota, it said. The entry period had previously been set to end Oct. 31, after a prior extension from its original Oct. 1 end date (see 2108230025). “These actions are being taken after a determination that additional supplies of raw cane sugar are required in the U.S. market. USDA will closely monitor stocks, consumption, imports and all sugar market and program variables on an ongoing basis,” it said.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service should immediately revoke its finding for Australia’s meat export inspection regime -- effectively ending the country’s eligibility to export meat to the U.S. -- after finding contaminants in samples of meat imports from Australia, Food and Water Watch said in a recent letter to the agency.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is preparing a proposal to the World Customs Organization to create specific harmonized system subheadings for fresh, frozen and dried blueberries, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service said in an October report. The agency said it is pursuing this proposal because blueberries are grouped in HS-6 codes with other fruits of the genus Vaccinium, which makes it “challenging” to track blueberry trade. The agency hopes the proposal will “provide clarity on trade (and thus production) and achieve a more precise understanding of how large the market is and where trade (and thus production) is happening.” If the proposal is approved, USDA said changes likely won’t be implemented for “several years.”
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service intends to allow imports of fresh turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizome from Samoa, it said in a notice released Oct. 26. An agency pest risk analysis found “the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds,” APHIS said. If APHIS finalizes the decision, it will allow imports into the U.S. and its territories, subject to the phytosanitary requirements specified by the agency. Comments are due by Dec. 27.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Oct. 21 that Special Import Quota #1 for upland cotton will be established Oct. 28, allowing importation of 10,773,610 kilograms (49,482 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Jan. 25, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by April 25, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the June through August 2021 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service intends to allow imports of fresh leaves and stems of garland chrysanthemum (Glebionis coronarium) from Mexico, it said Oct. 19. An agency pest risk analysis found “the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds,” APHIS said. If APHIS finalizes the decision, it will allow imports into the continental United States, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, subject to the phytosanitary requirements specified by the agency.