The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has made September 2nd the mandatory date for filing of Section 8e requirements through U.S. Customs & Border Protection’s Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) System. Section 8e requires certain fruit and vegetable imports to meet the same grade, size, quality and maturity standards as their domestically produced counterparts.
The new AMS filing requirements apply to avocados, grapefruit, kiwi, onions, oranges, potatoes, grapes, tomatoes, pistachios, dates, hazelnuts, olives, raisins and walnuts.
To assist stakeholders with meeting the requirements, the USDA has made a webinar available online. Additional information can be found on the USDA website.