The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has updated its CITES I-II-III Timber Species Manual. This Manual provides U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Plant, Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) personnel with guidelines for the import, re-export, violation, seizure, and forfeiture of CITES Appendix I, Appendix II, and Appendix III protected timber species.
Lacey Act
The Lacey Act and subsequent amendments make it unlawful to import, export, transport, sell, receive, or acquire any plant, fish or wildlife obtained in violation of U.S., tribal or foreign law, as well as any injurious wildlife. The law is administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and CBP. APHIS has been implementing Lacey Act declaration requirements since 2009. Lacey Act declarations may be filed by the importer of record or its licensed customs broker, and include information on imported item's species name, value, quantity, and country where it was harvested.
In the World Trade Organization’s tenth Trade Policy Review for the U.S., the WTO describes the U.S. economic environment and general and specific trade measures taken during 2008-2010. The WTO also makes certain recommendations.
Various U.S. government agencies are seeking comments on the following information collections for which they have requested or intend to request Office of Management and Budget approval or extension of approval (see notices for specific details):
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service requests comments on its intention to request an extension of approval of an information collection required by the Lacey Act for the importation of certain plants and plant products, the Plant and Plant Product Declaration Form (PPQ Form 505). APHIS is asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve its use of this information collection activity for an additional three years. Comments are due by November 29, 2010.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing a petition to list, under the Lacey Act, all live amphibians or their eggs in trade as injurious unless certified as free of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (chytrid fungus). Written comments on the petition are due by December 16, 2010.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has added a new question and answer to its Lacey Act Amendment frequently asked questions (FAQs) document on the responsibilities of Importers of Record and Customs brokers for paper Lacey Act declarations (Plant and Plant Product Declaration Form, PPQ Form 505).
According to sources at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, many aspects of its planned list of examples of plant taxa or commodities that qualify to be categorically exempt1 from the Lacey Act as a “common cultivar” or a “common food crop” are still under development.
During the August 4, 2010 meeting of the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Related Homeland Security Functions (COAC) in Detroit, MI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials discussed a variety of agriculture issues:
On August 4, 2010, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service published a proposed rule to define “common cultivar” and “common food crop”, which are among the categorical exemptions to the requirements of the Lacey Act, as amended (Act).
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a proposed rule to define “common cultivar” and “common food crop”, which are among the categorical exemptions1 to requirements of the Lacey Act, as amended (Act).