APHIS Announces Website on Commodity Import Approval Process
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced it created a new website (here) to provide stakeholders with information about the commodity import approval process for plants and plant products and give them the opportunity to consult with APHIS on risk assessments as they are being drafted.
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(Persons who wish to import plants, plant parts, or plant products that are not allowed importation into the U.S. must file a request with APHIS for consideration to determine whether the new commodity may be safely imported. Once a risk analysis has been completed and APHIS makes the determination that the risks associated with the commodity in question can be adequately mitigated, the risk analysis is made available for public comment either through a notice published in the Federal Register or as a supporting document with a proposed rule published in the Federal Register.)
Includes Description of Commodity Import Approval Process
APHIS said its website includes a description of each major step in the commodity import approval process for plants and plant products, including general descriptions detailing the following:
- Determination of the import status of a commodity
- Submission of a request by a national plant protection organization
- Initiation and drafting of risk assessment and risk management documents
- Completion of an environmental review
- Publication and implementation of new requirements, as applicable
Website also Gives Opportunity to Consult on Draft Risk Assessments
APHIS said the website also provides a means for stakeholders to consult with the Plant Protection and Quarantine program on draft risk assessments. To do this, stakeholders will first need to subscribe to the APHIS stakeholder registry (here) and submit an email address, which will be used to send an alert whenever a draft risk assessment becomes available for comment.
APHIS said it will post the draft risk assessment on the website for 30 days to give stakeholders an opportunity to review it and comment via email.