On 1 May, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection began enforcing the import declaration requirement included in the Lacey Act amendments that were enacted into law last year. Under this requirement importers of plants and plant products, including wood and wood products, must submit upon entry of such goods a declaration (PPQ Form 505) that includes the genus and species of the plant(s) used, the value and quantity of the importation and the country of origin of the imported product. The current phase of enforcement is limited to imports under HS headings 4401 (fuel wood), 4403 (wood in the rough), 4404 (hoopwood; poles, piles, stakes), 4406 (railway or tramway sleepers), 4407 (wood sawn or chipped lengthwise), 4408 (sheets for veneering), 4409 (wood continuously shaped), 4417 (tools, tool handles, broom handles) and 4418 (builders' joinery and carpentry of wood). Enforcement will next be expanded on 1 October to cover a range of additional products classified in chapters 44 and 47. The fourth and last phase of enforcement under the current schedule will enter into force on 1 April 2010 and will apply to additional products of chapters 44, 48 and 94.

APHIS has begun a pilot programme designed to lessen the burden of the declaration requirement on importers. This programme will test the feasibility of collecting the required information through the use of a periodic "blanket" declaration, with subsequent reconciliation reports. Enrolment is limited initially to entities currently participating in one of CBP's expedited border release programmes.