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Update: Plant/Plant Products Import Declaration
September 19, 2008

Customs and Agriculture recently have indicated, but not formally, that:

1. It is likely they will back a phase in of the law, which may take the following scheduling:
A. Voluntary compliance from the start date (December 15) through April 1, 2009
B. Beginning April 2009: Declaration required for items that are \\\"obviously\\\" (not yet defined) of wood or plant materials
C. Beginning at some unspecified later dates: Addition phase ins in two stages, with the last (most probably including such items as paper labels, unless exempted before that time) commencing as late as January of 2010.
2. While the declaration is now paper, which would disallow paperless entries for shipments covering goods subject to the law, Customs wants to tie the declaration requirement, when and if phased in, to when electronic filing becomes available.
3. Customs and Agriculture are planning to raise with Congress such issues not addressed by the statute, such as the meaning of basic terms (such as what are the \\\"common cultivars\\\" that the law specifically exempts) and whether packaging could cover such things as gummed paper labels and hangtags.