Customer Advisory: US CBP announces Enforcement of USDA Restriction on Rice Imports from Specific Countries
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will enforce the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) federal quarantine to restrict the importation of rice into the U.S. from countries which have a known Khapra beetle infestation. US CBP has advised the following countries have been known to have the Khapra beetle and are subject to the restrictions: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cyprus, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.
The restrictions require commercial rice shipments originating from the above listed countries be inspected and accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate or a phytosanitary certificate of re-export. In addition, the certificates must include a declaration stating that “The shipment was inspected and found free of Khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium)”. The same restrictions will apply for commercial shipments of rice that originate in countries that have Khapra beetle that make entry into any other country before exporting to the U.S
US CBP will begin enforcement of the federal quarantine on July 30th.
For additional information, please refer to the following announcements:
US CBP: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/national/07252011.xml
APHIS: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/plant_imports/federal_order/downloads/2011/DA-2011-38.pdf
