Import Declaration Clarification
The Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is planning to begin requiring a Lacey Act import declaration for additional plants and plant products on Dec. 1. APHIS is now making the following clarifications regarding this requirement.
- HTSUS 3301.29.5142 (essential oil of vetiver) will not be subject to the declaration requirement as part of the forthcoming Phase VII.
- The declaration requirement will not be delayed for another 12 months with respect to HTSUS 3301.29.5150 (other essential oils) because APHIS responded to industry concern about this subheading in 2020 and has therefore already delayed the requirement for four years.
- APHIS will publish a separate notice adding HTSUS subheadings 9403.40.9040, 9403.40.9060, and 9403.40.9080 (from the furniture chapter), which were omitted from the Phase VII list, and provide a six-month waiting period before implementation.
Cotton Import Fee Falls
A year after an 11.2 percent increase, assessments paid by importers of cotton and cotton-containing products under the Cotton Research and Promotion Order will fall nearly 10 percent under a direct final rule issued by the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. Assessments will be decreased from $0.014691/kg to $0.013247/kg to reflect a decline in the weighted average price of upland cotton received by U.S. farmers in 2023.
This rule also amends the Import Assessment Table, which indicates the total assessment rate due for each HTSUS number subject to assessment, to reflect this change.
This rule will be effective as of Nov. 15 unless significant adverse comment is received by Oct. 16, in which case it will be withdrawn.
For more information, please contact ST&R’s textile and apparel practice leader Elise Shibles at (415) 490-1403 or via email.
Imports from Honduras
Effective Sept. 12 and until further notice, APHIS is restricting the importation of animal commodities originating from or transiting Honduras based on the diagnosis of New World screwworm in a horse. APHIS prohibits the importation of ruminants and swine from Honduras but will permit the importation of pet dogs, hedgehogs, tenrecs, elephants, hippos, rhinos, and tapirs from Honduras as long as they are accompanied by a certificate signed by a full-time salaried veterinary official of the region of origin. That certificate must state that the animal has been inspected for screwworm within five days prior to shipment to the U.S. and is either free from screwworm or was found to be infested with screwworm, held in quarantine, and treated until free from screwworm prior to leaving the region. APHIS has also established specific requirements for imports of horses.
Avocados
The AMS is proposing to update the avocado maturity shipping schedule to allow certain sizes and weights of the Beta avocado variety to be shipped earlier. This rule would apply to avocados grown in south Florida but would also make a corresponding change to the avocado import regulation. Comments on this proposal are due no later than Nov. 19.
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