Flower importers need rust clearances June 2

Flower importers need rust clearances June 2 Customs and Border Protection in Miami and the U.S. Department of Agriculture will start to enforce new regulations on importing flowers from countries where the disease chrysanthemum white rust (CWR) has been discovered, according to a CBP bulletin issued in Miami.
   USDA has amended its regulations on requirements for the importation of cut flowers in countries that are 'hosts' of CWR, setting strict guidelines on the conditions at sites where the flowers are grown.
   CBP said the changes are necessary because of numerous recent findings of CWR on cut flowers. Federal officials want to be sure CWR is not introduced in the United States.
   Miami is the leading U.S. gateway for flower imports, and the trade has been notified that flowers brought into the country must be grown at a registered production site and accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate or the equivalent documentation issued by the national plant protection organization in the country of origin.
   The certificate must also contain an additional declaration stating that the place of production, as well as the shipment itself, must have been inspected and found to be free of CWR.
   The USDA is requiring box labels and other documents accompanying shipments of cut flowers to be marked with the identity of the registered production site, CBP said.
   Cut flowers that do not meet those conditions will be refused entry into the country, starting June 2.
   CBP said flower importers are strongly advised to refer to the Cut Flowers and Greenery Manual available online at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals. A full listing of the countries affected by CWR is available at that site.