The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is adding Cyprus to its list of regions that are free of foot-and-mouth disease, rinderpest and swine vesicular disease, and its list of regions considered free or low-risk for classical swine fever, it said in a notice (here). The determination, which takes effect June 8, loosens restrictions on importation of swine, pork, and pork products from Cyprus.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service recently created a new website (here) to provide guidance for businesses and individuals that import wooden handicrafts from China, it said (here). The website includes information on how to meet APHIS regulatory requirements, the types of wood products that APHIS considers a handicraft and points of contact for wooden handicraft issues. Also included is the list of approved manufacturers of wooden handicrafts from China (see 1703030014), as well as the criteria manufacturers must meet to be added to the list.

The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation on June 1 announced Special Import Quota #6 for upland cotton will be established on June 8, allowing importation of 13,890,026 kilograms (63,796 bales) of upland cotton (here), up from 13,588,518 kilograms (62,411 bales) in the last quota period. It will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Sept. 5, 2017, and entered into the U.S. by Dec. 4, 2017. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the period January 2016 through March 2017, the most recent three months for which data is available.

The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation on May 25 announced Special Import Quota #5 for upland cotton will be established on June 1, allowing importation of 13,588,518 kilograms (62,411 bales) of upland cotton (here). It will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Aug. 29, 2017, and entered into the U.S. by Nov. 27, 2017. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the period December 2016 through February 2017, the most recent three months for which data is available.

The Agricultural Marketing Service is proposing to continue its 15 million board feet de minimis threshold under the softwood lumber information order, it said (here). As provided in the 2011 final rule creating the softwood lumber order (see 11080216), importers that import less than 15 million board feet of softwood lumber are exempt from assessments, as long as they apply annually for a certificate of exemption and provide documentation to support their request. A federal court in 2016 struck down the 15 million board foot threshold, finding the number arbitrary, but left the softwood lumber regulations in place while AMS reconsiders. AMS is now proposing to keep the same threshold, but providing further analysis. Comments are due July 31.

The Agricultural Marketing Service is amending its regulations on the beef promotion and research order to increase fee assessments on importers of veal and veal products, and to update the table of Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) numbers subject to importer assessments, it said (here). The final rule takes effect June 29.

The Agricultural Marketing Service is proposing to relax minimum quality and handling standards for domestic and imported peanuts, it said (here). The AMS proposed rule would “relax the allowance for damaged kernels in farmers stock peanuts when determining segregation,” AMS said. The change was recommended by the Peanut Standards Board, it said. Comments are due June 26.

The Agricultural Marketing Service is amending the U.S. Standards for Grades of Cauliflower to allow all colors of cauliflower to be certified to a U.S. grade, it said (here). The agency is also adding marking requirements and allowing certification to a grade for curd sizes less than four inches in diameter, and removing references to an unclassified category of cauliflower, it said. The changes take effect June 26.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is prohibiting the entry of all fresh cherries from the Canadian province of Ontario, effective immediately, it said in a federal order dated May 23 (here). The agency is taking the action because of multiple detections of the European cherry fruit fly in the province, it said. The prohibition covers imports of black cherry, mahaleb cherry, sour cherry and sweet cherry, as well as wild fruits of the genera Prunus and Lonicera, APHIS said. Imports from all Canadian provinces other than Ontario are still allowed, but must have their origin verified by shipping documents (such as a bill of lading) or “other proof of origin acceptable to APHIS,” it said. Cherries that have been frozen, canned, cooked, dehydrated, jellied, juiced or pickled are also still allowed from all Canadian provinces, APHIS said in an emailed update (here).

The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation on May 18 announced Special Import Quota #4 for upland cotton will be established on May 25, allowing importation of 13,588,518 kilograms (62,411 bales) of upland cotton (here). It will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Aug. 22, 2017, and entered into the U.S. by Nov. 20, 2017. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the period December 2016 through February 2017, the most recent three months for which data is available.