USDA Proposing WCO Changes for Blueberries
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is preparing a proposal to the World Customs Organization to create specific harmonized system subheadings for fresh, frozen and dried blueberries, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service said in an October report. The agency said it is pursuing this proposal because blueberries are grouped in HS-6 codes with other fruits of the genus Vaccinium, which makes it “challenging” to track blueberry trade. The agency hopes the proposal will “provide clarity on trade (and thus production) and achieve a more precise understanding of how large the market is and where trade (and thus production) is happening.” If the proposal is approved, USDA said changes likely won’t be implemented for “several years.”
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USDA said the global trade and production of blueberries has seen “dramatic” growth in the past decade, and that “upward trajectory,” is expected to continue. Although export growth for fresh U.S. blueberries has “been more moderate” than for other countries, America ranks as one of the world's leading blueberry exporters, along with Peru, Chile and Mexico.