The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing to loosen requirements on importation of bovines and bovine products from Bolivia and the United Kingdom's zone of Jersey, it said in a notice released June 24. APHIS intends to reclassify them has having negligible risk, concurring with recommendations recently issued by the World Organization for Animal Health, the agency said. Comments are due Aug. 24.
An Agricultural Marketing Service final rule amending the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances in organic products to add newly allowed substances to the National List will now take effect July 26. The agency originally released the notice June 17 before withdrawing it, alongside all other notices scheduled for publication in the Federal Register, due to the Juneteenth holiday (see 2106180032). The final rule adds oxalic acid dihydrate as a pesticide for organic apiculture (beekeeping); pullulan for use in organic handling in products labeled, “Made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s)),” and collagen gel as a nonorganic nonagricultural substance for use as a casing in organic handling when organic forms of collagen gel are not commercially available.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced June 17 that Special Import Quota #9 for upland cotton will be established June 24, allowing importation of 10,452,580 kilograms (48,008 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Sept. 21, 2021, and entered into the U.S. by Dec. 20, 2021. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the February through April 2021 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Agricultural Marketing Service on June 17 released a final rule amending the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances in organic products. The final rule adds the following allowed substances to the National List: oxalic acid dihydrate as a pesticide for organic apiculture (beekeeping); pullulan for use in organic handling in products labeled, “Made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s)),” and collagen gel as a nonorganic nonagricultural substance for use as a casing in organic handling when organic forms of collagen gel are not commercially available. The changes take effect July 19.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced June 10 that Special Import Quota #8 for upland cotton will be established June 17, allowing importation of 10,452,580 kilograms (48,008 bales) of upland cotton, up from 9,364,126 kilograms (43,009 bales) during the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Sept. 14, 2021, and entered into the U.S. by Dec.13, 2021. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the February through April 2021 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced June 3 that Special Import Quota #7 for upland cotton will be established June 10, allowing importation of 9,364,126 kilograms (43,009 bales) of upland cotton, the same quantity as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Sept. 7, 2021, and entered into the U.S. by Dec. 6, 2021. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the January through March 2021 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced May 27 that Special Import Quota #6 for upland cotton will be established June 3, allowing importation of 9,364,126 kilograms (43,009 bales) of upland cotton, the same quantity as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Aug. 31, 2021, and entered into the U.S. by Nov. 29, 2021. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the January through March 2021 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced May 20 that Special Import Quota #5 for upland cotton will be established May 27, allowing importation of 9,364,126 kilograms (43,009 bales) of upland cotton, the same quantity as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Aug. 24, 2021, and entered into the U.S. by Nov. 22, 2021. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the January through March 2021 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing to loosen conditions for imports of melons from Japan, it said in a notice released May 20. The agency intends to allow imports of melons with stems into the entire U.S., it said. Currently, fresh melon fruit is authorized for import only into Hawaii, and fresh cantaloupe and honeydew melons are allowed to be imported only into Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands from certain Japanese regions. Comments are due July 20.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced May 13 that Special Import Quota #4 for upland cotton will be established May 20, allowing importation of 9,364,126 kilograms (43,009 bales) of upland cotton, up from 8,126,524 kilograms (37,324 bales) in the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Aug. 17, 2021, and entered into the U.S. by Nov. 15, 2021. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the January through March 2021 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.