This is a reminder of our previous announcement that effective December 31, 2018, imports into the United States of shrimp and abalone will require participating government agency (PGA) reporting under the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP).
U.S. importers of shrimp and abalone species (originating from both wild capture fisheries and aquaculture operations) will be required to:
- obtain an International Fisheries Trade Permit (IFTP),
- submit harvest and landing information prior to entry into U.S. Commerce, and
- maintain supply chain records from the point of harvest to the point of entry into U.S. Commerce, for a period of two years after entry.
For products harvested prior to the compliance date, U.S. importers should work with their foreign suppliers to ensure that the harvest event and supply chain records are available for any entries made on or after December 31, 2018.
This program was established to prevent illegally harvested and misrepresented seafood from being entered into U.S. Commerce.
Note that this is in addition to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Prior Notice requirements; and the Office of Marine Conservation’s (OMC’s) requirement to file a Department of State form DS-2031 when importing shrimp or products containing shrimp.
If you have any questions regarding SIMP PGA reporting for shrimp and abalone, Livingston can help! Please contact either your Livingston account manager or our regulatory affairs department at usregaffairs@livingstonintl.com