| Title: | Update: Import Restrictions on Certain Mexican Fish and Fish Products |
|---|---|
| Date: | 2018-08-28 |
| To: | abi,acee,acep,edi,newace,partner |
| Links: | previous, original, next |
This message is an update in response to the Notification published by NOAA in the Federal Register on August 28, 2018, entitled “Implementation of Import Restrictions; Certification of Admissibility for Certain Fish Products from Mexico” (83 Fed. Reg. 43792). As previously noted, in response to a United States Court of International Trade order (Slip-Op 18-92) and in cooperation with NMFS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) imposed immediate import restrictions on fish and fish products from Mexico caught with gillnets deployed in the range of the vaquita, a species of porpoise endemic to northern Gulf of California waters in Mexico and listed as an endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. This message replaces and supersedes all previous related CSMS messages: 18-000482, 18-000483 and 18-000484.
This action continues the existing prohibitions on the importation into the United States from Mexico of all shrimp, curvina, sierra, and chano fish and fish products harvested by gillnets in the upper Gulf of California (UGC) within the vaquita's geographic range. To effectuate the court order, beginning on August 14, 2018, CBP and NMFS required that all imports of shrimp, curvina, sierra, and chano fish and fish products from Mexico as country of origin be accompanied by the “U.S. Import Certification of Admissibility” set forth below.
In addition, to ensure complete, effective, and immediate implementation, CBP and NMFS required that all other fish and fish products not within the scope of the import restrictions but imported under the attached HTS codes list from Mexico as country of origin be accompanied by the certification set forth below.
This message is notice that as part of the continued interim procedure, and in accordance with the August 28, 2018 Federal Register Notice referenced above, effective immediately either the NMFS CERTIFICATION OF ADMISSIBILITY, available at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/foreign/marine-mammal-protection/seafood-import-restrictions, and attached hereto, or the “U.S. Import Certification of Admissibility” set forth below, must accompany imports of fish and fish products under the HTS codes list below from Mexico as country of origin. While CBP will be permitting the use of the U.S. IMPORT CERTIFICATION OF ADMISSIBILITY for an additional transition period to provide the trade sufficient time to fully comply with the newly-instituted procedures, we strongly urge the immediate use of the NMFS CERTIFICATION OF ADMISSIBILITY. Following the conclusion of the transition period, this will be the only permitted form. This form requires the signature of an appropriate Mexican Government official.
If a completed U.S. IMPORT CERTIFICATION OF ADMISSIBILITY or NMFS CERTIFICATION OF ADMISSIBILITY is not filed, then the entire shipment will be denied entry. The U.S. IMPORT CERTIFICATION OF ADMISSIBILITY or NMFS CERTIFICATION OF ADMISSIBILITY may be submitted to CBP via the Document Imaging System (DIS), e-mail, fax or physical presentation in hardcopy form to the appropriate CBP Port of Entry official for review.
These trade restrictions on these products harvested by gillnets in the Upper Gulf of California of Mexico are an interim measure and will continue until further notice requiring that the NMFS CERTIFICATION OF ADMISSIBILITY will be the only acceptable means of certification.
Any questions of CBP regarding this message should be forwarded to the Commercial Targeting & Analysis Center (CTAC) at CTAC@cbp.dhs.gov.
U.S. IMPORT CERTIFICATION OF ADMISSIBILITY:
As the Importer of Record or duly authorized official/agent of the importer of record, I do hereby certify, to the best of my knowledge and belief, that the fish/fish products contained in this shipment are of species of fish or fish products, or from fisheries, not caught with gillnets deployed in the range of the vaquita, in the upper Gulf of California waters in Mexico.
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