The Department of Agriculture is increasing the fiscal year 2017 tariff rate quota for raw cane sugar by 244,690 metric tons raw value, it said (here). The increase brings the total FY 2017 TRQ, originally set at the 1,117,195 MTRV minimum mandated by the World Trade Organization (see 1605050018), to 1,361,885 MTRV, USDA said. Raw cane sugar under this quota must be accompanied by a certificate for quota eligibility. USDA also announced sugar may be entered under the FY 2017 TRQ until Oct. 31, 2017, one month later than the usual last entry date. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will allocate the increase among supplying countries and customs areas.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Chinese officials reached an agreement to allow for the U.S. to export rice to China "for the first time ever," the USDA said in a July 20 news release (here). The exports can begin after an audit of U.S. rice facilities by China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the USDA said. "This market represents an exceptional opportunity today, with enormous potential for growth in the future,” Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said. “The agreement with China has been in the works for more than a decade and I’m pleased to see it finally come to fruition, especially knowing how greatly it will benefit our growers and industry."
The Agriculture Department requests public comments through July 17, 2018, on how it can give “better customer service” and remove unintended barriers to participation in its programs “in ways that least interfere with our customers and allow us to accomplish our mission,” USDA said (here). The department wants ideas to modify, expand, repeal, or “streamline” regulations, guidance, or “any other policy documents” needing reform, it said. It will collect comments in four “batches,” it said. USDA noted that a Feb. 24 executive order (here) directs agencies to identify regulations that eliminate jobs or inhibit job creation; are outdated, unnecessary or ineffective; and that impose costs that exceed benefits. “USDA is committed to creating a culture of consistent, efficient service to our customers while easing regulatory burdens to make it easier to invest, produce, and build in rural America in a way that creates jobs and economic prosperity while ensuring the safety of our food supply, and protecting and safeguarding our land, water, and other natural resources for future generations,” USDA said.
The Agricultural Marketing Service is amending the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Circumstances in its organic regulations to prohibit eight substances and maintain three exemptions for non-organic products, it said (here). The agency is newly prohibiting the use in organic foods of lignin sulfonate (for use as a floating agent), furosemide, magnesium carbonate, and the non-organic forms of chia, dillweed oil, frozen galangal, frozen lemongrass and chipotle chile peppers, it said. AMS is also renewing listings allowing the use of non-organic forms of oligofructose enriched inulin, Turkish bay leaves and whey protein concentrate in organic products. The changes, which result from the National Organic Standards Board’s 2017 sunset review, take effect Aug. 7.
The Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration is amending U.S. standards for beans and lentils. In its final notice amending beans standards (here), GIPSA is creating a class and grade requirement chart for chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, and is establishing a new grade determining factor, definition, factor limits and visual reference image for “contrasting chickpeas.” In another final notice amending lentil standards (here), the agency is establishing an additional grading factor, definition, grade requirements and visual reference images for “wrinkled lentils,” as well as a special grade, definition, special grade requirements, designation and visual reference images for “green lentils.” Both notices take effect Aug. 1.
The Department of Agriculture announced the establishment of the tariff rate quotas for raw cane sugar and refined and specialty sugars (including syrups and molasses) for fiscal year 2018 (Oct. 1, 2017 - Sept. 30, 2018) (here).
The Food Safety Inspection Service will begin reinspecting all shipments of imported Siluriformes fish and fish products (i.e., catfish) on Aug. 2, it said (here). Beginning on that date, “all shipments of imported Siluriformes fish and fish products must be presented at an Official Import Inspection Establishment for reinspection by FSIS personnel,” the agency said. FSIS had planned to begin mandatory reinspection in September, 18 months after it began its transitional period for taking over regulatory responsibilities for catfish from the Food and Drug Administration (see 1605040041), but recent legislation directed FSIS to begin reinspections immediately. “To apply for import reinspection, applicants, typically the Importer of Record, must submit a paper or an electronic inspection application form (FSIS Form 9540-1) to FSIS in advance of the shipment’s arrival, but no later than when the entry is filed” with CBP, the agency said. After Aug. 2, “FSIS will begin taking action in regard to imported fish product that has bypassed FSIS import reinspection, but entered commerce, i.e. ‘failure to present’ (FTP) product,” it said.
The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation on June 29 announced Special Import Quota #10 for upland cotton will be established on July 6, allowing importation of 13,890,026 kilograms (63,796 bales) of upland cotton (here). It will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Oct. 3, 2017, and entered into the U.S. by Jan. 1, 2018. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the period January 2017 through March 2017, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service offered some guidance on importing petunias after the agency learned of unauthorized imports of genetically engineered (GE) flowers in May, APHIS said in a June 26 bulletin (here). "APHIS is working closely with petunia breeders, growers, distributors, and importers to stop unauthorized importation and distribution of GE petunias," the agency said. APHIS posted several documents on the issue, including information on destroying GE petunias (here), testing GE petunias (here), using third-party labs to test petunias (here) and a list of petunia varieties that require authorization (here).
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will test an "offshore greenhouse certification program" for plant cuttings that could help mitigate pest risks for imported plants, the agency said in a June 26 bulletin (here). The initial six-month pilot will begin in October and include "greenhouse facilities in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Colombia that produce generally admissible, unrooted vegetative cuttings for import" into the U.S. The agency will use the pilot to test whether such certifications help reduce pest and disease risks for plant cuttings, it said. "APHIS will inspect and certify participating facilities this summer," it said. "For the duration of the pilot, facilities must adhere to the requirements outlined in the pilot framework. The pilot framework includes standard plant pest exclusion procedures, sanitation and traceability protocols, a summary of the greenhouse certification process, an explanation of how shipments will be handled at U.S. ports of entry, and next steps after the pilot’s conclusion in March 2018." The agency requested public comments within 30 days on the framework (here) about any changes that might be necessary before the test begins.