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Fraud alerts & credit freezes: What’s the difference? by Lisa Weintraub Schifferle Attorney, FTC, Division of Consumer & Business Education Looking for ways to protect your identity? Two to options to consider are fraud alerts and credit freezes. But what’s the difference? Read more > Fraud alerts & credit freezes: What’s the difference? by Lisa Weintraub Schifferle Attorney, FTC, Division of Consumer & Business Education Looking for ways to protect your identity? Two to options to consider are fraud alerts and credit freezes. But what’s the difference? Read more >

The following Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) reports were released on Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Australia:  Australia-Indonesia Free Trade Agreement Ratified

Indonesia on February 6th ratified the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA). This followed ratification by Australia in mid-December. Indonesia is the fifth largest export market for Australian agricultural products. Once implemented, IA CEPA will provide preferential access for more than 99 percent of Australia's agriculture goods imported by Indonesia.

 

Bangladesh: FAIRS Annual Country Report

This report outlines specific requirements for food and agricultural products imported to Bangladesh. All foods sold in Bangladesh must comply with a range of laws designed to protect consumer, plant, and animal health. These laws apply equally to imported and locally produced foods. All imported plants, plant products, and food must comply with quarantine, imported food standard requirements, and food safety requirements. All FAS reports through USDA's Global Agriculture Information Network (GAIN) can be found here. This update report of 2019 added the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority’s 2019 Food Safety (Food Tactile) Regulations.

Bangladesh: FAIRS Export Certificate Report

This report contains major export certificates that the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) requires from U.S. agricultural product exporters. The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority is the national authority responsible for ensuring food safety and food regulations in the country. Bangladesh is a signatory member of the WTO and maintains a relatively liberal and open trading system. Import Policy Order 2015-18 (Link) remains in effect for trading with Bangladesh. 

Egypt: Egypt Reintroduces Government Pre shipment Inspections for Grain Imports

Egypt’s mandatory plant quarantine pre-shipment inspections of grains at port-of-loading are back. Pre-shipment inspections return due to invalidation of Prime Ministerial Decree No. 2992/2016. Prime Ministerial Decree No. 2992/2016 (January 1, 2017) disallowed government teams to travel for inspections at the port of loading and instead gave the General Organization for Export & Import Control (GOEIC) the responsibility to coordinate and administer inspections for grain imports. Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Decree No. 562/2019 reestablishes the Central Plant Quarantine Authority (CAPQ) as the agency responsible for grains and oilseeds inspections. The General Organization for Supply Commodities now requires pre-shipment inspections by Egyptian officials at port-of-loading, in accordance with CAPQ requirements. 
 

EU-27: EU Commission Launches Public Consultation on Deforestation-Free Supply Chains

On February 6, 2020, the European Commission launched a public consultation (open until March 4, 2020) on its initiative to minimize the risk of deforestation and forest degradation associated with products paced on the EU market. The public consultation aims to collect the views of citizens (EU and non-EU), stakeholders, and trading partners in order to receive input on the EU’s initiative. 

Hong Kong: FAIRS Export Certificate Report

Hong Kong does not have any certification changes for food imports in 2019. This report is the same as the 2018 report. This report lists the certificates required by the Hong Kong government (HKG) for U.S. agricultural and food exports to Hong Kong. Certificate samples are included in the appendix. 

Japan: General Instructions for Shipping Product Samples to Japan

Prospective exporters and exhibitors of major food shows and trade showcases often enhance their presentation with samples for display or tasting when visiting Japan. Successfully shipping food samples to Japan requires advanced planning and, generally, exporters coordinate with a customs broker (freight forwarder) to gather information and prepare documentation. This report provides general instructions on shipping samples. 

Netherlands: FAIRS Export Certificate Report

The Netherlands, as a Member State of the European Union (EU), conforms to all EU regulations and directives. However, rules for the certification of imports are complicated and in practice not always harmonized across EU Member States. This report lists the recent developments related to the Dutch import requirements for the certification of agricultural and food imports. 

Poland: FAIRS Country Report

Poland is a European Union (EU) Member State (MS) and applies all relevant EU regulations pertaining to food and agricultural imports. U.S. food and agricultural suppliers to Poland should verify with local importers and appropriate U.S. regulatory agencies regarding the most current local requirements prior to shipment. 

Poland: FAIRS Export Certificate Report

Poland applies European Union (EU) regulatory requirements for all food of animal- and plant-origin food. Although the EU has harmonized export certification requirements for most products, Poland maintains national-level oversight for products still not harmonized under the EU. Poland’s competent authorities can be consulted, on a case-by-case basis, regarding requirements for non-EU harmonized products. The EU requires that all requisite products be accompanied by sanitary and/or phytosanitary certificates at the port of entry. 

Sweden: Agricultural Biotechnology Report

This report assesses the agricultural biotechnology sector in Sweden, and covers related production, trade and policies. It includes topics related to genetic engineering and innovative plant and animal biotechnologies. In this report the opinion of the Swedish government towards innovative biotechnologies for plant breeding is outlined and put in perspective with the opinions of the governments and advisory boards of Finland, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Taiwan: Taiwan Requires New Dairy Certificates Effective May 1, 2020

Effective May 1, 2020, all U.S. dairy products for food purposes under HS Codes 0401, 0402, 0403, 0404, 0405 and 0406 must be accompanied with the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) joint health certificate for import clearance. For further information on issuing certificates, please see the instruction on Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) export library.

For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/.

America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers Power of the Pulpit: Faith Leaders Gather to Support the 2020 Census Reaching Americans where they live, work, and pray is a key strategy of the U.S. Census Bureau as it begins the once-a-decade count of everyone who lives in the United States.                Preachers, priests, rabbis, and imams are trusted voices in their communities, and many are joining the Census Bureau to spread the word that responding to the 2020 Census is easy, safe, and important for their communities. Read More On February 18 in Washington, D.C., leaders representing a range of faiths will come together for a moderated panel discussion and news conference at the Washington National Cathedral. These leaders will highlight the importance of ensuring the 2020 Census counts every person living in the United States, no matter their faith or religion. Continue Reading... Help us spread the word about America Counts and the 2020 Census. Share this story on social media or forward it to a friend. Share This From March 27 to 29, faith leaders and organizations also are encouraged to use the power of their pulpits to tell their congregations how important the census is as part of the Faith Community Census Weekend of Action. The panel discussion in Washington occurs less than a month before people will begin receiving invitations to respond to the 2020 Census. In mid-March, most households will be invited to respond online, by phone, or by mail. Important Dates About America Counts America Counts tells the stories behind the numbers in a new inviting way. It features stories on various topics such as families, housing, employment, business, education, the economy, emergency preparedness, and population.