The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently announced plans to implement Phase VII of the Lacey Act Provisions. The Lacey Act protects global plant species by regulating the import, export, and trade of plants and plant products to prevent illegal logging and promote the conservation of endangered and threatened plants.
LACEY ACT PHASE VII DECLARATION IMPLEMENTATION
Previous phases of the Lacey Act implementation included some furniture, timber, essential oils, wood cases and trunks, woodwind instruments and their parts and accessories. Phase VII includes a wider range of products including industrial or medicinal plants, purses, plywood, laminated wood, tools, matches with natural wood stems, footwear, as well as goods made of natural cork, bamboo, and rattan.
“If an importer imports items that contain plant products, but do not currently file a Lacey Act declaration, they likely will need to file under Phase VII.”
APHIS Agency Announcement
LACEY ACT ENFORCEMENT
Effective December 1, 2024, APHIS will begin enforcement for Phase VII declarations. The expanded enforcement schedule includes 242 new Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) codes that must be declared. Failure to properly declare or falsely labeling plant or plant products imported into the United States may result in civil or criminal penalties from $250 to $500,000.
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