In the December 5, 2016, Federal Register, USDA's AMS proposed to change the reporting of export certificate information under regulations issued pursuant to the Export Apple Act (7 CFR part 33) and the Export Grape and Plum Act (7 CFR part 35). This change would require shippers of apples and grapes exported from the United States to electronically enter an Export Form Certificate number or a USDA-defined exemption code into the Automated Export System. This rule would also define "shipper," shift the current file retention requirement from carriers to shippers, and require shippers to provide, upon request, copies of the certificates to AMS. These changes are intended to enable AMS to track exported apple and grape shipments to ensure that exports meet inspection and certification requirements. Comments are due January 4, 2017.
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