§1581 — Title 7 Agriculture | U.S. Code

Summary

Bringing certain seeds into the United States is not allowed. Seeds that carry noxious-weed seeds or that have false or misleading labels cannot be imported. Bulk screenings of seeds are also banned, except for screenings of common grains and legumes (for example, wheat, oats, rye, barley, corn, sorghum, soybeans, and similar crops) if they are not meant for planting and are declared for cleaning, processing, or manufacturing. Any seed mix that contains 10 percent or more agricultural or vegetable seed must have an invoice and labels that show a lot ID and list each vegetable seed present at any level and each agricultural seed present above 5 percent; if a hybrid seed is over 5 percent it must be labeled as hybrid. Seeds meant for planting that have been treated with chemicals must carry labels on each container. The label must say the seed is treated, name the chemical used, give any safety warning the Secretary of Agriculture requires if the remaining chemical is harmful to people or animals, and describe the treatment process as approved by the Secretary. For very toxic treatments like mercurials, the label must include a skull-and-crossbones and a clear poison warning in red on a contrasting background.

Title 7, §1581

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The importation into the United States is prohibited of— (1)

(2)screenings of any seeds subject to this subchapter (except that this shall not apply to screenings of wheat, oats, rye, barley, buckwheat, field corn, sorghum, broomcorn, flax, millet, proso, soybeans, cowpeas, field peas, or field beans, which are not imported for seeding purposes and are declared for cleaning, processing, or manufacturing purposes, and not for seeding purposes);

(3)any seed containing 10 per centum or more of any agricultural or vegetable seeds, unless the invoice pertaining to such seed and any other labeling of such seed bear a lot identification and the name of each kind and variety of vegetable seed present in any amount and each kind or kind and variety of agricultural seed present in excess of 5 per centum of the whole, and unless in the case of hybrid seed present in excess of 5 per centum of the whole it is designated as hybrid.11 So in original. The period probably should be a semicolon.

(4)any agricultural seeds or any mixture thereof, or any vegetable seeds or any mixture thereof, for seeding purposes, that have been treated, unless each container thereof bears a label giving the following information and statements in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed under section 1592 of this title:

(A)A word or statement indicating that the seeds have been treated;

(B)The commonly accepted coined, chemical (generic), or abbreviated chemical name of any substance used in such treatment;

(C)If the substance used in such treatment in the amount remaining with the seeds is harmful to humans or other vertebrate animals, an appropriate caution statement approved by the Secretary of Agriculture as adequate for the protection of the public, such as “Do not use for food or feed or oil purposes”; Provided, That the caution statement for mercurials and similarly toxic substances, as defined in said rules and regulations, shall be a representation of a skull and crossbones and a statement such as “This seed has been treated with POISON”, in red letters on a background of distinctly contrasting color; and

(D)A description, approved by the Secretary of Agriculture as adequate for the protection of the public, of any process used in such treatment.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1994—Pub. L. 103–465 struck out “(a)” before “The importation” in introductory provisions, struck out “, or is required to be stained and is not so stained, under the terms of this subchapter,” after “noxious-weed seeds” in par. (1), redesignated pars. (4) and (5) as (3) and (4), respectively, and struck out former par. (3) which read as follows: “any seed containing 10 per centum or more of the seeds of alfalfa or red clover, which has been stained prior to being offered for entry in a manner that does not permit compliance with the provisions of this subchapter and the

Regulations

made and promulgated thereunder.” 1983—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 97–439 substituted “any agricultural or vegetable seeds if any such seed contains noxious weed seeds” for “any seed containing 10 per centum or more of any agricultural or vegetable seeds if any such seed is adulterated or unfit for seeding purposes”. 1966—Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 89–686, § 13, prohibited importation of any seed containing 10 per centum or more of any agricultural seeds and prescribed as additional prerequisites to importation a lot identification for the invoice and any other labeling, the kind and variety of seed present in any amount, each kind or kind and variety of seed present in excess of 5 per centum of the whole, and hybrid designation in case of hybrid seed present in excess of 5 per centum of the whole. Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 89–686, § 14, added par. (5). 1958—Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 85–581 added par. (4).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1994 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 103–465 effective on the date of entry into force of the WTO Agreement with respect to the United States (Jan. 1, 1995), except as otherwise provided, see section 451 of Pub. L. 103–465, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 3601 of Title 19, Customs Duties.

Effective Date

See section 1610 of this title.

Transfer of Functions

For

Transfer of Functions

of the Secretary of Agriculture relating to agricultural import and entry inspection activities under this subchapter to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see section 231, 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.

§1581 Prohibitions relating to importations

Summary

Title 7, §1581

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Regulations

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Effective Date

Effective Date

Transfer of Functions

Transfer of Functions

Citations & Metadata