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.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Oct. 14 that Special Import Quota #26 for upland cotton will be established Oct. 21, 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. 18, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by April 18, 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's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Oct. 7 that Special Import Quota #25 for upland cotton will be established Oct. 14, allowing importation of 10,773,610 kilograms (49,482 bales) of upland cotton, down from 11,655,252 kilograms (53,532 bales) in the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Jan. 11, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by April 11, 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 Food Safety and Inspection Service is allowing imports of raw and processed poultry and poultry products from Poland, it said. The agency said it found Poland’s “poultry laws, regulations, and inspection system” equivalent to the U.S. regulatory and inspection scheme. “Poultry products derived from poultry slaughtered and processed in certified Polish establishments are now eligible for export to the United States,” FSIS said. “All such products will be subject to reinspection at United States points-of-entry by FSIS inspectors,” and remain subject to Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service import requirements, it said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Sept. 30 that Special Import Quota #24 for upland cotton will be established Oct. 7, allowing importation of 11,655,252 kilograms (53,532 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Jan. 4, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by April 4, 2022. 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 2021 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.