Organic Imports
The Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service has been conducting risk-based oversight on thousands of HTSUS numbers since the Strengthening Organic Enforcement regulation was fully implemented in March 2024. Based on this analysis, AMS is removing the AM7 flag from approximately 1,700 HTS numbers in Chapters 53-94 that are related to products not directly organic food, feed, or textile related. This flagging update was expected to begin in production on Oct. 18.
Plants from Korea
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has announced that imports of three Acer spp. (Acer buergerianum, A. palmatum, and A. pseudosieboldianum) dwarf plants from Korea into the continental U.S. may be authorized beginning Oct. 21. These imports will be
subject to the pest mitigation measures required for all approved dwarf plants imported under APHIS’ Artificially Dwarfed Plants program as well as the additional commodity-specific measures described in the risk management document accompanying APHIS’ January 2022 notice.
Poultry from Japan
Effective Oct. 17 APHIS has imposed the following restrictions on importations from Hokkaido prefecture in Japan based on a determination that highly-pathogenic avian influenza exists in domestic birds in this area.
- Imports of unprocessed avian products and byproducts and certain fresh poultry products originating from or transiting this area are prohibited.
- Imports of poultry, commercial birds, ratites, and hatching eggs originating from or transiting this area are prohibited.
- Processed avian products and byproducts originating from or transiting this area, imported as cargo, must be accompanied by an APHIS import permit and/or government certification confirming that the products were treated according to APHIS requirements.
- Importation as cargo of fresh, unprocessed shell/table eggs and other egg products, void of the shell (i.e., liquid eggs, dried egg whites), originating from or transiting this area is prohibited unless the products are consigned from the port of arrival directly to an APHIS-approved breaking and pasteurization facility. An import permit and/or certificate is not required for these shipments when consigned directly to an APHIS-approved establishment.
Trade Missions
The USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service is accepting through Oct. 29 applications from current and potential U.S. exporters interested in participating in FAS’ first-ever trade mission to Bangkok, Thailand, which will be held Feb. 3-6, 2025. Participants will meet with potential partners from both Thailand and Burma. FAS notes that U.S. export opportunities in these countries includes dairy products, food preparations, seafood, tree nuts, fresh fruits, chocolate and cocoa, wine, and distilled spirits.
FAS also intends to lead trade missions to Cote d’Ivoire, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Mexico, and Peru in 2025.
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