APHIS Will Delay Implementation of Phase Six of the Lacey Act Enforcement Schedule

Washington, D.C., August 4, 2020 – In March 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing plans to implement phase six of the Lacey Act enforcement schedule, effective October 1, 2020. In response to stakeholder concerns about operational and economic setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, APHIS will publish a Federal Register notice in the coming weeks to delay implementation. This action will give the trade community time to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for this change.

APHIS will continue to provide the latest information through the Stakeholder Registry. Click here to subscribe. Please visit the Lacey Act website to learn more about the enforcement schedule.