GAIN Reports from Wednesday, March 17, 2021

The following Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) reports were released on Wednesday, March 17, 2021.   Algeria: Tree Nuts Renewed market opportunities arise for U.S. almonds exports to Algeria following the adjustment of the import ban implemented by the Government of Algeria on July 12, 2020. Currently, Almond imports will only be restricted during their harvest time in Algeria from June 1 to August 31. Belgium: Belgian Retailer Introduces a Sustainability Label for Food Products On March 10, 2021, the Belgian retail group Colruyt announced that it would launch the Eco-Score for products of its private label brand. The Eco-Score gives food products a score from A to E based on their environmental impact.  India: INDIA - FSSAI Notifies Authorized Officers for New Food Import Entry Points   On February 26, 2021, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) published its Authorized Officers' list for food import entry points. Effective March 10, 2021, the Authorized Officers will control the food entry points as listed in the notification's Annexure 1. Prior to this date, some of the locations were Customs controlled points.  Japan: Tariffs on US Beef Rise as USJTA Safeguard Triggers On March 17, Japan Customs announced that Japan's imports of U.S. beef surpassed the annual trigger safeguard volume established under the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement (USJTA). As a result, tariffs on U.S. beef will increase from 25.8 percent to 38.5 percent for a period of 30 days beginning March 18. Mexico: Interinstitutional Agreement on Standard NOM-051 FOPL Compliance This report intends to inform U.S. processed foods and non-alcoholic beverage companies interested in the Mexican market about the additional implementations to the Front of Pack labeling that will go into effect on April 1, 2021. A draft Interinstitutional Agreement establishing a grace period from April 1 – May 31, 2021 for compliance with upcoming Standard NOM-051 stipulations is available for comments on the National Regulatory Improvement Commission (CONAMER in Spanish) website. This report intends to encourage U.S. companies interested in extending the implementation grace period to submit their comments prior to the publication of the agreement in the Federal Registry. Norway: Government of Norway Publishes Comprehensive Climate Report   In January 2021, the government of Norway presented its climate action plan for the transformation of Norwegian society by 2030. The plan details how Norway aims to achieve its climate targets while generating green growth. It focuses on reducing emissions by 45 percent from 2005 levels (in economic sectors that are not included in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS)) and calls for a significant increase in the carbon tax rate by 2030. For agriculture, the government of Norway has set an target to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 5 million tons by 2030. This target is based on an earlier agreement between the government of Norway and the agriculture sector established in 2019. In addition, the government of Norway has defined clear objectives regarding biofuel quota oblations for various modes of transport, and proposes a number of measures to enhance the uptake of CO2 by forests and to reduce CO2 emissions from land use. Vietnam: Vietnam Phases Out the Preventive Use of Antibiotics in Animal Husbandry On November 9, 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) issued Circular 12/2020 providing the Management of Veterinary Drug Prescription and Veterinary Drugs Containing Narcotic Substances and Precursors. This Circular provides the lists of certain antibiotics allowed for preventive use in accordance with the timeline to phase out the use of antibiotics for the preventive purpose in animal husbandry in Vietnam as prescribed in Decree 13/2020 guiding the Animal Husbandry Law. Circular 12/2020 went into effect on December 25, 2020.   For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/.     Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com. This service is provided to you at no charge by USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. This email was sent to stevenmagallanes520.nims@blogger.com using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service · 1400 Independence Avenue, SW · Washington, DC 20250