The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation on May 11 announced Special Import Quota #3 for upland cotton will be established on May 18, allowing importation of 13,588,518 kilograms (62,411 bales) of upland cotton (here). It will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Aug. 15, 2017, and entered into the U.S. by Nov. 13, 2017. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the period December 2016 through February 2017, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Agriculture Department is creating a position for an under secretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced on May 11 (here). The 2014 Farm Bill mandated the new position, which will oversee the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and will chair an interagency trade committee including FAS, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Food Safety Inspection Service, the Agricultural Marketing Service and the Federal Grain Inspection Service, USDA said in a report notifying Congress of the new position (here). The under secretary also will meet regularly with the USDA under secretary for food safety and under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs on trade issues requiring regulatory involvement and support.
The Agricultural Marketing Service is delaying until Nov. 14 the effective date of changes to its organic livestock and poultry production requirements, it said (here). The agency's January final rule adds new provisions on livestock handling and transport for slaughter and avian living conditions, and expands and clarifies “existing requirements covering livestock care and production practices and mammalian living conditions," AMS said (see 1701180085). The effective date had already been delayed until May from its original March effective date. AMS is also asking for comments by June 9 (here) on whether it should allow the rule to take effect in November, delay the rule further, or suspend or withdraw the changes.
The Agricultural Marketing Service set its 2017 fees for voluntary grading, inspection, certification, auditing and laboratory services for meat and poultry, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, cotton and tobacco (here). Covered programs include cotton classification under cotton futures legislation (7 CFR 27); cotton classing, testing and standards (7 CFR 28); grading and inspection for approved plants and standards for grades of dairy products (7 CFR 58); inspection, certification and standards for fresh fruits, vegetables and other products (7 CFR 51); processed fruits and vegetables (7 CFR 52); meats, prepared meats and meat products (7 CFR 54); livestock, meat and other agricultural commodities (7 CFR 6); agricultural and vegetable seeds (7 CFR 75); grading of shell eggs (7 CFR 56); grading of poultry and rabbit products (7 CFR 70); services and general information (7 CFR 91); and tobacco inspection (7 CFR 29). Effective dates of fee changes range from June 1, 2017, to Jan. 1, 2018, depending on the product.
The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation on May 4 announced Special Import Quota #2 for upland cotton will be established on May 11, allowing importation of 13,588,518 kilograms (62,411 bales) of upland cotton (here). It will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Aug. 8, 2017, and entered into the U.S. by Nov. 6, 2017. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the period December 2016 through February 2017, the most recent three months for which data is available.
A recent Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service final rule allowing importation of lemons from northwest Argentina into the continental U.S. (see 1612230018) won't be delayed any further, the agency said May 1 (here). Argentine lemons can be imported into only the Northeastern U.S. during 2017 and 2018, the agency said. The final rule, which was originally set to take effect Jan. 23 (see 1612230018) but was delayed twice, will "go into effect when the stay expires on May 26," APHIS said. The final rule was delayed until March 27 to comply with a memorandum issued by the Trump administration to all executive branch agencies (see 1701230031) and later delayed again to May 26 (see 1703230019). Conditions for importation include registration of places of production and packinghouses, grove sanitation and monitoring, treatment and inspection. Lemons must be harvested green or treated for the Mediterranean fruit fly, and must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Argentine government. The Agriculture Department will work with "Argentina’s National Food Safety and Quality Service (SENASA) to finalize the operational work plan described in the final regulation," APHIS said.
The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation on April 27 announced Special Import Quota #1 for upland cotton will be established on May 4, allowing importation of 13,588,518 kilograms (62,411 bales) of upland cotton (here). It will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Aug. 1, 2017, and entered into the U.S. by Oct. 30, 2017. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the period December 2016 through February 2017, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation on April 20 announced Special Import Quota #26 for upland cotton will be established on April 27, allowing importation of 13,588,518 kilograms (62,411 bales) of upland cotton (here). It will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than July 25, 2017, and entered into the U.S. by Oct. 23, 2017. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the period December 2016 through February 2017, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation on April 13 announced Special Import Quota #25 for upland cotton will be established on April 20, allowing importation of 13,588,518 kilograms (62,411 bales) of upland cotton (here). It will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than July 18, 2017, and entered into the U.S. by Oct. 16, 2017. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the period December 2016 through February 2017, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Agricultural Marketing Service seeks comments on an information collection related to imports of fruits, vegetables and nuts that would be subject to federal grade standards but are imported for an exempt purpose, it said (here). For imports of avocados, grapefruit, kiwifruit, non-Spanish olives, oranges, table grapes, Irish potatoes, onions, tomatoes, dates not for processing, walnuts, raisins, pistachios and hazelnuts, which are subject to grade standards, importers may submit a form declaring they are exempt if the imports are for processing, charity, animal feed, seed and distribution to relief agencies. AMS is changing the name of the form from FV-6 to SC-6, it said. Comments are due May 30.