Info on relaxation of USDA import rules for seed

Russell Stafford, Odyssey Bulbs mail@odysseybulbs.com
Tue, 04 May 2004 15:28:35 PDT
I wish I could, Harold (and Leo), but this is a government bureaucracy 
we're dealing with, so perhaps I've been rash in asserting that the permits 
referred to in the document are the standard 5-year PPQ-597 forms.  That 
was my first and second reading but the document does contain some passages 
that raise some questions in my mind as to what exactly is being proposed.

Under the section entitled "Permits", the document states that applicants 
for the permit would submit the same information (including "expected date 
of arrival") as do applicants for the standard 5-year PPQ-597 permit, and 
that small shipments of seeds would be added to the ranks of "restricted 
articles" that require such a permit.  This implies that the permit issued 
would be a standard 5-year permit.

Soon thereafter, though, comes this sentence: "As with permits for other 
plant material that is imported into the United States, the permit for the 
small lots of seed would be sent to the importer along with written 
instructions, a copy of the import requirements, and a standard green and 
yellow shipping label."  This hints that the permit might not be the 597 
permit and that it would be good for only one shipment.  On the other hand, 
it could merely be fuzzy writing.  It's happened before.

It's difficult at this point to respond to this proposed rule, because 
what's being proposed is not entirely clear.  If the gist of the change is 
to add small shipments of seeds to the list of restricted articles that 
require a 597 permit, while exempting such shipments from the phyto 
requirement, then bully for it.  I just I were absolutely certain that's 
what's being said.

Time to ask for an official interpretation, I guess.

Russell

At 01:51 PM 5/4/2004 -0700, you wrote:
>As I read the rules Russell, you would have to apply for a new permit for 
>each consignment. This is not at all like my current plant import permit 
>that is good for 5 years. Please tell me that I am wrong.
>Harold

Russell Stafford
Odyssey Bulbs
8984 Meadow Lane, Berrien Springs, Michigan  49103
269-471-4642
http://www.odysseybulbs.com/


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