New information collection fields proposed for fish and wildlife imports

The Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to make revisions to USFWS Form 3-177, the form used by U.S. importers and exporters of fish and wildlife. Under the Endangered Species Act it is against the law to import or export fish, wildlife, or plants without filing a declaration or report [...]

By |2024-01-31T01:11:34+00:00January 31, 2024|Imports|0 Comments

Importing shrimp: Eligible countries and guidelines

The State Department has published a list of certified nations and fisheries that wild-caught shrimp are allowed to be imported from. For all other nations and fishers not on the list, only shrimp harvested from aquaculture (farmed) are eligible to enter the United States. The complete list of certified nations, [...]

By |2024-01-31T01:11:17+00:00January 30, 2024|Imports|0 Comments

Pandemic significantly impacted supply chains and goods imports: ITC

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has published a report detailing the significant impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on U.S. supply chains. The document, titled Recent Trends in U.S. Services Trade: 2023 Annual Report, includes specific discussions on retail supply chains, e-commerce, logistics, warehousing, maritime shipping, port services, trucking [...]

Trigger levels updated for additional duties on agricultural goods

The Department of Agriculture has updated the quantity-based trigger levels for products that may be subject to additional import duties under the safeguard provisions of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Agriculture. The WTO Agreement on Agriculture provides that additional import duties may be imposed on imports of products [...]

By |2024-01-31T01:10:00+00:00January 30, 2024|Imports, Tariffs|0 Comments

New USDA Final Rule strengthens the organic goods supply chain

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Agricultural Marketing Service have implemented a Final Rule strengthening the enforcement of the National Organic Program, which governs the production, handling, and sale of organic agricultural products. The Final Rule, which came into effect earlier this year and will be implemented on [...]

By |2024-01-31T01:06:14+00:00January 30, 2024|Imports, Legislation, Trade|0 Comments

Government urges due diligence for gold importers

The U.S. government has issued the Africa Gold Advisory, which highlights the opportunities and risks associated with the gold trade across sub-Saharan Africa, and encourages industry participants to apply and strengthen their due diligence practices to ensure that bad actors are unable to benefit from the sector, which remains essential [...]

By |2024-01-30T23:38:50+00:00January 30, 2024|Imports|0 Comments

New restrictions placed on animal imports from Costa Rica to combat screwworm

Until further notice, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is restricting the importation of animal commodities originating from or transiting Costa Rica based on the diagnosis of New World screwworm in a dog. The restrictions vary based on the animal: APHIS prohibits the [...]

By |2024-01-30T23:36:02+00:00January 30, 2024|Imports|0 Comments

Huge increase proposed for AQI import fees

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing to significantly increase the fees for its AQI program, which assures that cargo and passenger baggage entering the country is inspected for plant pests and potential sources of animal diseases that could affect U.S. agriculture, trade [...]

By |2024-01-30T23:36:01+00:00January 30, 2024|Imports, Ocean Cargo, Shipping, U.S. Customs|0 Comments

Ban on crib bumpers and inclined sleepers for infants is approved

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued two final rules to codify the bans on inclined sleeps for infants and crib bumpers that Congress established in the Safe Sleep for Babies Act. The Act prohibits importing these products into the U.S., along with their sale, manufacture, and distribution. The [...]

By |2024-01-30T23:35:59+00:00January 30, 2024|Imports, Legislation|0 Comments

Assessment fee on imported cotton jumps by 11%

The supplemental assessment fee on imported cotton is set to increase by more than 11% as of October 16, 2023 through a new Final Rule issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) The rule will increase the supplemental assessment on imported cotton from $0.013215 per kilogram [...]

By |2024-01-30T23:35:57+00:00January 30, 2024|Imports, Tariffs|0 Comments