April 3, 2009

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires importers and exporters of certain plant and lumber products covered under the Lacey Act to file a Plant Product Declaration Form (PPQ 505) in order to obtain a Customs release for their shipment(s).

According to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) document dated March 27, 2009: "Electronic submission of the required data elements will be accepted starting April 1, 2009. Enforcement of the data collection requirement will begin May 1, 2009. Importers are encouraged to use the 30-day period starting April 1, 2009, for live testing of the electronic system. The government will rely on the data collected in its reports to Congress and in determining if any refinements to the electronic system are needed. The 30-day delay of enforcement will allow the government time to complete its work on integrating the Lacey declaration requirement into CBP's expedited border release programs. It is not anticipated that enforcement of subsequent phases will be delayed."

To view the complete "Guidance on the Lacey Act Enforcement" document, visit www.cbp.gov and search on the document name for a link.