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| USDA Announces Electronic Filing to Streamline Import Process |
| As part of the Department of Agriculture's (USDA)
overall eGovernment initiative to transform and enhance the delivery of
its programs, services and information, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) on April 3 launched ePermits, a new electronic system to
streamline the import process. The new system, which is being released in
multiple phases, is a Web-based tool that allows the electronic filing,
processing and tracking of permit applications. According to a USDA press
statement, the current phase allows individuals to process permit applications
online for certain plant protection and quarantine and biotechnology and
regulatory services' notifications. APHIS' veterinary services is in the
process of finalizing its system and plans to launch its ePermits section
on July 3.
In addition to online applications, ePermits features a payment engine capability so individuals can pay permit application fees by credit card,when applicable, as part of the online process. More advances are underway, including the ability to apply for more types of APHIS permits and a feature that will allow APHIS officials to generate and print shipment labels with barcodes. Once the barcode is scanned, it will immediately verify that the permit is valid. |
| Please forward your inquiry to Laura Hayes by phone at 410-787-3953 or laurah@jsconnor.com |