The Agricultural Marketing Service is amending its regulations on organic livestock and poultry production by “adding new provisions for livestock handling and transport, slaughter, and avian (poultry) living conditions; and expanding and clarifying existing requirements covering livestock care and production practices and non-avian living conditions,” AMS said in a final rule. Compliance with most of the amended requirements is required by Jan. 2, 2025, though some requirements aren’t in effect until 2029.
Not only does the byzantine system of tariff rate quotas and the suspension agreement with Mexican sugar exporters hike the cost of sugar, a new government report says that the methods of allocating and re-allocating TRQs result in consistent shortfalls in imports so that supply doesn't meet domestic demand, and shortages for food manufacturers, particularly late in the year.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Oct. 26 that Special Import Quota #2 for upland cotton will be established Nov. 2, allowing importation of 8,629,319 kilograms (39,634 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Jan. 30, 2024, and entered into the U.S. by April 29, 2024. 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 2023 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Oct. 19 that Special Import Quota #1 for upland cotton will be established Oct. 26, allowing importation of 8,629,319 kilograms (39,634 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Jan. 23, 2024, and entered into the U.S. by April 22, 2024. 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 2023 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Agricultural Marketing Service is amending its standards for grades of processed raisins to reduce the number of capstems allowed as defects, it said in a final rule released Oct. 16. The final rule adopts unchanged a proposal issued in March (see 2303080033), in which AMS said a study indicated the change would have affected grades for only 1.03% of all domestic and import inspections from 2016 to 2019. The changes take effect Nov. 16.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Oct. 12 that Special Import Quota #26 for upland cotton will be established Oct. 19, allowing importation of 8,629,319 kilograms (39,634 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Jan. 16, 2024, and entered into the U.S. by April 15, 2024. 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 2023 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Oct. 5 that Special Import Quota #25 for upland cotton will be established Oct. 12, allowing importation of 8,629,319 kilograms (39,634 bales) of upland cotton, down from 12,114,320 kg (55,640 bales) in the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Jan. 9, 2024, and entered into the U.S. by April 8, 2024. 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 2023 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Sept. 28 that Special Import Quota #24 for upland cotton will be established Oct. 5, 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 Jan. 2, 2024, and entered into the U.S. by April 1, 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 proposing to amend its regulations that prevent introduction of African swine fever so that they also apply to importation of live dogs for resale. The proposed rule would mostly adopt, but with slightly different microchip requirements, a federal order issued in 2021 that set permit, microchip, documentation and other import requirements for imported dogs of less than 6 months of age that will be transferred to another person for more than de minimis consideration (this includes such transactions as retail sale, wholesale and fee-based adoption). Comments on the proposed rule are due Nov. 27.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will allow imports of baby kiwi fruit from France, it said in a notice. 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. Imports may be authorized beginning Sept. 26, APHIS said.