The Agricultural Marketing Service is updating its table of Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheadings and assessment rates for imported potatoes and potato products, it said in a final rule. The agency is also amending its regulations on the potato promotion order “eliminating the need to amend the Plan just to update the list of relevant HTS codes.” Finally, AMS is amending its regulations on approved data sources used to determine the number of Potato Board seats and expanding “payment methods used to remit assessments to include electronic submission.” The final rule takes effect May 16.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing to loosen requirements on importation of bovines and bovine products from Ireland, it said in a notice. APHIS intends to reclassify Ireland as having negligible risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, concurring with recommendations recently issued by the Organization for Animal Health, the agency said. Ireland is currently classified as undetermined for BSE risk, and imports of bovines and bovine products from the country are prohibited. Comments are due June 14.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced April 7 that Special Import Quota #25 for upland cotton will be established April 14, allowing importation of 10,083,800 kilograms (46,314 bales) of upland cotton, down from 10,140,031 kilograms (46,572 bales) in the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than July 12, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by Oct. 10, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the December 2021 through February 2022 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced March 31 that Special Import Quota #24 for upland cotton will be established April 7, allowing importation of 10,140,031 kilograms (46,572 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than July 5, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by Oct. 3, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the November 2021 through January 2022 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced March 24 that Special Import Quota #23 for upland cotton will be established March 31, allowing importation of 10,140,031 kilograms (46,572 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than June 28, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by Sept. 26, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the November 2021 through January 2022 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
Canada will “soon” resume exports of table stock potatoes from Prince Edward Island to the contiguous U.S., after U.S. and Canada reached “an understanding” that will include new import requirements, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said March 24. “Canada will lift its ban while APHIS plans to publish a federal order outlining additional required mitigations to protect the U.S. potato industry,” APHIS said.
The Agricultural Marketing Service is amending its National List of substances allowed and prohibited in organic products, it said in a notice released March 22. The final rule allows potassium hypochlorite to treat irrigation water used in organic crop production and fatty alcohols for sucker control in organic tobacco production, AMS said. It also removes the listing for dairy cultures, as it is "redundant with an existing listing,” AMS said. The changes take effect April 22.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced March 17 that Special Import Quota #22 for upland cotton will be established March 24, allowing importation of 10,140,031 kilograms (46,572 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than June 21, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by Sept. 19, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the November 2021 through January 2022 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced March 10 that Special Import Quota #21 for upland cotton will be established March 17, allowing importation of 10,140,031 kilograms (46,572 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than June 14, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by Sept. 12, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the November 2021 through January 2022 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will classify the state of Sonora, Mexico, as having Level I risk for bovine brucellosis, it said in a notice released March 4. Level I is the least restrictive level in APHIS’ bovine importation scheme, and allows imports of sexually intact bovines without a certificate or other restrictions. Sonora imports under this classification may be authorized beginning March 7. APHIS classified Canada as Level I for both bovine brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis in December (see 2112230023), after scrapping its country-specific import requirements for Canada, Mexico and Ireland in 2020 (see 2009160018).