CUBA | Treasury Revises Cuba Ag Sales Rule | On Friday July 29, Senate Financ...

CUBA

Treasury Revises Cuba Ag Sales Rule

On Friday July 29, Senate Finance Committee ranking Democrat Sen. Max Baucus released his “hold” on a series of Treasury Department nominees because the Treasury Department revised its current regulations on payments for U.S. agricultural sales to Cuba.

The current “pay-in-advance” requirements for U.S. agriculture and food shipments to Cuba can now include payments to agents in third countries. The February rule had required the shipper to have payment-in-hand before goods could leave the U.S. ports for Cuba, which made goods vulnerable to seizure for unrelated claims, resulting in Cuba making fewer purchases.

The latest iteration of the rule specifies that shipments can be made once legally constituted agents receive payment.

AgOTC

                                                                        Wood Packing Enforcement

The Agriculture Ocean Transportation Coalition (AgOTC) informed U.S. Meat Export Federation that U.S. Custom and Border Protection (CBP) will begin enforcement of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) import regulation for wood packing material (WPM).

The rule requires WPM, such as pallets, creates, boxes and dunnage used to support or brace cargo, to be treated and marked. In cases of noncompliance, the WPM will be subject to immediate export along with the accompanying cargo.

Additional information on the enforcement of the wood packaging material regulations will be available soon at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Web site at www.cbp.gov.

CUBA

Treasury Revises Cuba Ag Sales Rule

On Friday July 29, Senate Finance Committee ranking Democrat Sen. Max Baucus released his “hold” on a series of Treasury Department nominees because the Treasury Department revised its current regulations on payments for U.S. agricultural sales to Cuba.

The current “pay-in-advance” requirements for U.S. agriculture and food shipments to Cuba can now include payments to agents in third countries. The February rule had required the shipper to have payment-in-hand before goods could leave the U.S. ports for Cuba, which made goods vulnerable to seizure for unrelated claims, resulting in Cuba making fewer purchases.

The latest iteration of the rule specifies that shipments can be made once legally constituted agents receive payment.

AgOTC

                                                                        Wood Packing Enforcement

The Agriculture Ocean Transportation Coalition (AgOTC) informed U.S. Meat Export Federation that U.S. Custom and Border Protection (CBP) will begin enforcement of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) import regulation for wood packing material (WPM).

The rule requires WPM, such as pallets, creates, boxes and dunnage used to support or brace cargo, to be treated and marked. In cases of noncompliance, the WPM will be subject to immediate export along with the accompanying cargo.

Additional information on the enforcement of the wood packaging material regulations will be available soon at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Web site at www.cbp.gov.