The Lacey Act combats illegal trafficking of wildlife, fish, and plants. The 2008 Farm Bill amended the Lacey Act (16 U.S.C. §§ 3371-3378) and extended its protections to a broad range of plants and plant products, making it unlawful to import into the United States any plant or plant product that was illegally harvested. It also makes it unlawful to import certain products without a declaration.
APHIS, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service administer the Lacey Act. APHIS is responsible for collecting declarations for imported plants and plant products, and defining the scope of plant materials that require a declaration.
APHIS established through rulemaking a schedule for implementing the declaration requirement. Phases 1, 2, and 3 went into effect in 2009; phase 4 in 2010; and phase 5 in 2015. Phase 6 went into effect on October 1st, 2021. APHIS continues to evaluate products to include in future phases and will publish notices in the Federal Register to keep stakeholders and the public informed. A list of Federal Register publications are available on this website. Read More→
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/import-information/lacey-act
