U.S. alcohol regulator prepares new wine import certification

U.S. alcohol regulator prepares new wine import certification The U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau will hold a public meeting in Washington Dec. 15 to discuss new certification requirements for imported wine.
   The changes are required by the 2004 Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act, signed into law by President Bush this week.
   The amendment to the certification will cover production practices and procedures for imported wine. The change covers imported wines produced after Dec. 31.
   To comply with the amended certification, one of three conditions must be met:
   * The Treasury Department has on file or is provided a certificate from the government of the producing country, accompanied by a laboratory analysis, that the practices and procedures used to produce the wine constitute “proper cellar treatment.”
   * The Treasury Department has on file or is provided a certificate, if any, that may be required by an international agreement or treaty specifying practices and procedures acceptable to the United States.
   * In the case of an importer that owns or controls or has an affiliate that owns or controls a winery operating under a basic permit issued by the Treasury Department, the importer certifies that the practices and procedures used to produce the wine constitute proper cellar treatment.
   For more information about the public meeting, contact the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau’s International Trade Division by telephone at (202) 927-8110. Written comments are due to the agency by Jan. 15.