USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Sept. 21 that Special Import Quota #23 for upland cotton will be established Sept. 28, allowing importation of 12,114,320 kg (55,640 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Dec. 26, 2023, and entered into the U.S. by March 25, 2024. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the May through July 2023 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Sept. 14 that Special Import Quota #22 for upland cotton will be established Sept. 21, allowing importation of 12,114,320 kg (55,640 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Dec. 19, 2023, and entered into the U.S. by March 18, 2024. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the May through July 2023 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 horses. An APHIS final rule increases from 60 days to 90 days the period that horses exported from regions free from contagious equine metritis (CEM) are allowed to spend in a region affected by CEM and still enter the U.S. without testing. The final rule also requires import permits for horses transiting through CEM-affected regions, and adds requirements to ensure health certifications properly attest to the health of the imported horse. It also requires that horses transiting Central America or the West Indies “comply with the same regulations that apply to horses directly imported from these regions,” and adds requirements for shipping containers used in transporting horses. The final rule takes effect Oct. 16.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Sept. 7 that Special Import Quota #21 for upland cotton will be established Sept. 14, allowing importation of 12,114,320 kg (55,640 bales) of upland cotton, down from 12,641,719 kg (58,062 bales) in the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Dec. 12, 2023, and entered into the U.S. by March 11, 2024. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the May through July 2023 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Aug. 31 that Special Import Quota #20 for upland cotton will be established Sept. 7, allowing importation of 12,641,719 kilograms (58,062 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Dec. 5, 2023, and entered into the U.S. by March 4, 2024. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the April through June 2023 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service will charge $350 for the 2024 tariff-rate quota (TRQ) year for each license issued to a person or firm by the USDA authorizing the importation of certain dairy articles that are subject to tariff-rate quotas set forth in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, it said in a notice released Aug. 30. The new fee is unchanged from the fee charged for 2023 TRQ year licenses (see 2208090038).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is revising the appendices to its Dairy Tariff-Rate Quota Import Licensing Regulation for the 2023 tariff-rate quota year, it said in a notice released Aug. 30. USDA is making the changes to reflect the cumulative annual transfers from Appendix 1 to Appendix 2 for certain dairy product import licenses permanently surrendered by licensees or revoked by the Foreign Agricultural Service.
Agriculture Thomas Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Aug. 24 announced 130 new industry officials to sit on seven agricultural trade advisory committees, including bodies that advise the government on trade policies for animal products, fruits and vegetables, grains, cotton, nuts and more. The new members, who join 70 committee members whose terms haven’t yet expired, will serve until August 2027. The new members represent a range of trade groups and companies.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Aug. 24 that Special Import Quota #19 for upland cotton will be established Aug. 31, allowing importation of 12,641,719 kilograms (58,062 bales) of upland cotton. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Nov. 28, 2023, and entered into the U.S. by Feb. 26, 2024. Special Import Quota #18 for upland cotton was announced Aug. 17. Established Aug. 24, the quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Nov. 21, 2023, and entered into the U.S. by Feb. 19, 2024. The allowed amount in the #18 quota is also 12,641,719 kilograms (58,062 bales) of upland cotton. The quotas are equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the April through June 2023 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is restricting imports from Belarus of poultry, commercial birds, ratites, avian hatching eggs, unprocessed avian products and byproducts, as well as “certain fresh poultry products,” as a result of the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the country. Effective Aug. 14, imports of processed avian products and byproducts from or transiting Belarus, imported as cargo, will require an APHIS permit or government certification of treatment. Imports of fresh, unprocessed eggs and egg products are prohibited unless they are consigned from the port of arrival directly to an APHIS-approved breaking and pasteurization facility, APHIS said. Unprocessed avian products and byproducts originating from or transiting Belarus won't be permitted to enter the U.S., APHIS said.