The Census Bureau issued a guidance on Sept. 6 on exporting goods for humanitarian relief to areas affected by hurricanes. Shipments worth less than $2,500 are exempt from filing requirements and can use the “low value exception,” the guidance said. Certain Schedule B shipments intended for relief that are valued at more than $2,500 or shipments that require a license must be filed in the Automated Export System, the guidance said. The Schedule B shipments include “commingled food products,” “medicinal and pharmaceutical products,” “wearing apparel,” and other “articles donated for relief or charities.” Shipments of “food, medicine and clothing” do not require a license, the guidance said.

The Food and Drug Administration announced that it has “fully transitioned” to its year-old Export Listing Module for the European Union dairy export list and all export lists maintained for Chile and China. U.S. establishments that are currently included on the EU collagen, gelatin or seafood export lists “should submit applications in the ELM if they wish to remain on these lists,” FDA said on its website. And “effective immediately, any U.S. establishment that wishes to be included on any FDA-maintained export list for food products should apply in the ELM,” FDA said. Launched in July 2018 (see 1807100050), FDA’s ELM is “an electronic portal for receiving and processing requests from FDA-regulated establishments that seek to be included on all export lists for FDA-regulated food products” that may be required by some importing countries. FDA said the ELM will notify currently listed establishments that they must resubmit their ELM applications every two years and update their listing information, else they will be removed from the lists.

The Agricultural Marketing Service is issuing a final rule that formally brings regulations previously administered by the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) under the authority of AMS. The changes are necessary as a result of a November 2018 directive from the Secretary of Agriculture that eliminated GIPSA as a stand-alone agency and delegated its authorities to AMS. “This action is necessary to enable the AMS Administrator to issue, maintain, and revise as necessary regulations related to programs under the AMS Administrator’s delegated authority,” the final rule said.

The Agricultural Marketing Service is proposing to lower its fees for rice inspection services, it said in a notice. The proposed rule would decrease fees across the board by 20 percent for fiscal year 2020, and again by 20 percent for FY21. Export port services would fall to $0.059 per hundredweight in the first year, and to $0.047 in the second. AMS is also proposing to set new formulas for annually updating its fees for rice inspection services. The fees have not been updated since 2010, AMS said.

A final rule ending blanket restrictions on importation and exportation of species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act takes effect Sept. 26 (see 1908120020), according to a notice published Aug. 27 in the Federal Register. For species FWS lists as threatened on or after that date, import and export restrictions will not automatically apply, and FWS will have to issue a species-specific “Section 4(d)” rule to implement any restrictions on import, export and taking, FWS said in the final rule. Species already listed as threatened as of Sept. 26 still will be subject to the same restrictions as on importation and exportation of endangered species.

CBP will hold the 2020 Trade Symposium in Anaheim, California, March 10-11, the agency said in an emailed notice.

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new reporting requirements for 17 chemicals under significant new use rules. The proposed SNURs would require notification to EPA at least 90 days in advance of a new use by importers, manufacturers or processors. Importers of chemicals subject to these proposed SNURs would need to certify their compliance with the SNUR requirements should these proposed rules be finalized, EPA said. Exporters of these chemicals would become subject to export notification requirements. Comments on the proposed SNURs are due Sept. 13.

U.S. companies can use their compliance programs to mitigate the impacts of updated CBP guidelines that will make it more expensive to secure goods seized for export violations, according to an Aug. 12 post by Sandler Travis. CBP recently issued its updated mitigation guidelines for export control seizures, announcing it is eliminating the terms “technical violations” and “substantive violations” (see 1908050038). But CBP also introduced a new set of mitigating and aggravating factors related to export control seizures, and an effective compliance program can play an important role in minimizing the cost, the post said. “CBP may reference these guidelines when making such decisions,” the post said, adding that “export compliance programs and other factors can help lower that cost.”

The Fish and Wildlife Service is ending its practice of imposing blanket restrictions on importation and exportation of species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, it said in an Aug. 12 press release. Going forward, import and export restrictions will not automatically apply to species listed as threatened, and FWS will have to issue a species-specific “Section 4(d)” rule to implement any restrictions on import, export and taking, the agency said. Species currently listed as threatened will not be affected, FWS said.

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new reporting requirements for 31 chemicals under significant new use rules. The proposed SNURs would require notification to EPA at least 90 days in advance of a new use by importers, manufacturers or processors. Importers of chemicals subject to these proposed SNURs would need to certify their compliance with the SNUR requirements should these proposed rules be finalized, EPA said. Exporters of these chemicals would become subject to export notification requirements. Comments on the proposed SNURs are due Sept. 5.