USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Dec. 7 that Special Import Quota #8 for upland cotton will be established Dec. 14, allowing importation of 7,207,463 kilograms (33,103 bales) of upland cotton, down from 7,837,716 kilograms (35,998 bales) in the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than March 12, 2024, and entered into the U.S. by June 10, 2024. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the August through October 2023 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
Correction: An Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service official said Dec. 5 that she doesn’t yet have a timeline for phase VIII of Lacey Act declaration enforcement, which she said is “hopefully the last phase” of the implementation of Lacey Act declaration requirements (see 2312050078).
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Nov. 30 that Special Import Quota #7 for upland cotton will be established Dec. 7, allowing importation of 7,837,716 kilograms (35,998 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than March 5, 2024, and entered into the U.S. by June 3, 2024. Special Import Quota #6 for upland cotton was announced Nov. 24. Established Nov. 30, the quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Feb. 27, 2024, and entered into the U.S. by May 27, 2024. The allowed amount in the #6 quota is also 7,837,716 kilograms (35,998 bales) of upland cotton. The quotas are equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the July through September 2023 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Nov. 16 that Special Import Quota #5 for upland cotton will be established Nov. 23, allowing importation of 7,837,716 kilograms (35,998 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Feb. 20, 2024, and entered into the U.S. by May 20, 2024. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the July through September 2023 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will allow imports of fresh, chilled or frozen beef from Paraguay, it said in a notice released Nov. 13. Effective Dec. 14, fresh beef from Paraguay may be imported under the same import conditions as imports of fresh beef from Uruguay and approved regions of Argentina and Brazil. APHIS said in an emailed news release that it expects the beef imports to be under 6,500 metric tons per year, "in part due to a quota Paraguay faces on beef exports to the United States."
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Nov. 9 that Special Import Quota #4 for upland cotton will be established Nov. 16, allowing importation of 7,837,716 kilograms (35,998 bales) of upland cotton, down from 8,629,319 kilograms (39,634 bales) in the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Feb. 13, 2024, and entered into the U.S. by May 13, 2024. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the July through September 2023 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Nov. 2 that Special Import Quota #3 for upland cotton will be established Nov. 9, allowing importation of 8,629,319 kilograms (39,634 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Feb. 6, 2024, and entered into the U.S. by May 6, 2024. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the June through August 2023 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Agricultural Marketing Service is amending its regulations on organic livestock and poultry production by “adding new provisions for livestock handling and transport, slaughter, and avian (poultry) living conditions; and expanding and clarifying existing requirements covering livestock care and production practices and non-avian living conditions,” AMS said in a final rule. Compliance with most of the amended requirements is required by Jan. 2, 2025, though some requirements aren’t in effect until 2029.
Not only does the byzantine system of tariff rate quotas and the suspension agreement with Mexican sugar exporters hike the cost of sugar, a new government report says that the methods of allocating and re-allocating TRQs result in consistent shortfalls in imports so that supply doesn't meet domestic demand, and shortages for food manufacturers, particularly late in the year.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Oct. 26 that Special Import Quota #2 for upland cotton will be established Nov. 2, allowing importation of 8,629,319 kilograms (39,634 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Jan. 30, 2024, and entered into the U.S. by April 29, 2024. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the June through August 2023 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.