The Agricultural Marketing Service is establishing new voluntary U.S. Standards for Grades of frozen onions, it said in a final rule. “The grade standards provide a common language for trade, a means of measuring value in the marketing of frozen onions, and guidance on the effective use of frozen onions,” it said. The new standards take effect Sept. 21.
The Agricultural Marketing Service is amending its U.S. Standards for Grades of shelled and in-shell walnuts, it said. Changes include the addition of red-colored walnuts to color requirements and removal of the “unclassified section.” The final rule takes effect Sept. 21.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service will on Aug. 24 hold a second educational meeting in Webster, Florida, to discuss its new authorities for inspection of Siluriformes fish, including catfish, outlined in a 2015 final rule (see 1511270024), it said. At the meeting, “FSIS will present information on the upcoming full implementation of the regulatory requirements at official domestic establishments that process Siluriformes fish and fish products, as well as information on entry procedures and reinspection at official import inspection establishments,” the agency said. Full implementation of FSIS inspection authority for Siluriformes took effect Aug. 2 (see 1706300029).
South Korea has lifted its ban on U.S. poultry and poultry products exports, including fresh eggs, the Agriculture Department announced Aug. 17. South Korea in 2015 banned U.S. poultry imports in response to detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza. The U.S. notified the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) on Aug. 11 that it is free of HPAI, removing “any justification for U.S. trading partners to restrict imports of U.S. poultry due to HPAI concerns,” USDA said. USDA is working with South Korean officials toward limiting any future HPAI-based import restrictions to affected areas, consistent with OIE standards, USDA said. The agreement for South Korea to allow U.S. eggs and egg product imports is temporary, but will authorize duty-free imports during domestic supply shortages. South Korea’s agriculture ministry reopened its market to U.S. eggs and egg products earlier this year, but again restricted imports after an HPAI detection in Tennessee, USDA said.
The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation on Aug. 17 announced Special Import Quota #17 for upland cotton will be established on Aug. 24, allowing importation of 12,751,474 kilograms (58,566 bales) of upland cotton. It will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Nov. 21, 2017, and entered into the U.S. by Feb. 19, 2018. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the period April 2017 through June 2017, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will allow imports of Hass avocados from Colombia, it said in a final rule. Conditions for importation include orchard and packinghouse requirements and port of entry inspection, as well as a phytosanitary certificate issued by the government of Colombia. The final rule takes effect Sept. 14.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is adding Malta to its list of regions that are free of foot-and-mouth disease, rinderpest, African swine fever and swine vesicular disease, and its list of regions considered free of or at low risk for classical swine fever, it said in a notice. The determination, which takes effect Sept. 11, loosens restrictions on importation of swine, pork and pork products from Malta.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service will hold an “educational meeting” Aug. 24 in Memphis to discuss its new authorities for inspection of Siluriformes fish, including catfish, outlined in a 2015 final rule (see 1511270024), it said. At the meeting, “FSIS will present information on the upcoming full implementation of the regulatory requirements at official domestic establishments that process Siluriformes fish and fish products, as well as information on entry procedures and reinspection at official import inspection establishments,” the agency said. Full implementation of FSIS inspection authority for Siluriformes took effect Aug. 2 (see 1706300029).
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing to end a ban on importation of fresh pork and pork products for classical swine fever (CSF) reasons from most of Mexico, after finding the entire country to be essentially free of the illness. APHIS already recognizes nine Mexican states as free of CSF: Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chihuahua, Nayarit, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, Sonora and Yucatan. Under the proposal, fresh pork and pork products would be eligible for importation from every Mexican state, and APHIS would add the entire country of Mexico to its Web list of regions considered to be free of CSF but from which live pork, swine and pork products can be imported to the U.S. under conditions specified in 9 CFR 94.32. Comments are due Oct. 7.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service loosened restrictions on importation of live bovines and bovine products from several countries, it said. The agency said it concurs with the Organization for Animal Health’s decision to classify Costa Rica, Germany, Lithuania, Mexico, Namibia, Romania and Spain as having negligible risk for bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The determination was made Aug. 2.