New import rules aim to prevent plant pests entering Cayman

From 1 Jan., government will begin enforcing new regulations on importing construction aggregate, used agricultural and construction equipment and planting materials as part of an expansion of efforts to prevent the introduction of plant pests.

From that date, such items will require single or multi-entry import permits, which will be issued by the Department of Agriculture.

The Plant Protection Act, passed by lawmakers in 2023, will come into force on 1 Nov., but the import permits for new items listed under “Regulated Articles” will not take effect until two months later. The transition period has been put in place to give importers more time to get to grips with the requirements and apply for the appropriate import permits, the department said.

Among the new items added to Regulated Articles are compost; planting material; organic mulches; construction aggregate; untreated and unprocessed wood products; and used agricultural and construction equipment.

The Department of Agriculture will host two meetings next week to brief those likely to be impacted by the new regulations, such as importers, brokers, freight forwarders and other stakeholders.

Cabinet approved the regulations and the commencement order for the Plant Protection Act 2023 last month.

Urging stakeholders to attend the upcoming briefings, Agriculture Minister Jay Ebanks said, “This modernised legislation strengthens our ability to protect Cayman’s agriculture, environment and way of life from plant pests and diseases, while keeping trade moving efficiently for those who rely on it.”

Director of Agriculture Wilbur Welcome added, “These briefings give stakeholders the opportunity to understand their responsibilities, ask questions and prepare for the transition, and the Department will continue to work closely with importers, brokers and other partners in the months ahead.”

Currently, anyone wishing to import plants and plant products, including fresh produce, cut flowers or seeds, must apply to the department for an import permit.

The department noted that the expanded Regulated Articles list contains products and items that, “by their nature, have the potential to harbour, transport or spread plant pests.”

“Regulating these items will enable the Department of Agriculture to identify and track at-risk imports, provide importers with appropriate conditions before shipment and facilitate inspections where necessary,” the department said.

The department noted that consignments may be subject to inspection “where necessary.”

Import permit fees

It said the import permit fees had been “deliberately kept affordable”, as the fees are intended as a regulatory and biosecurity mechanism rather than a revenue measure.

For example, a single-entry import permit for used agricultural or earthmoving machinery is $25, the same cost as the importation of mulch or fertilisers.

Some of the fees, however, are considerably higher, such as $200 per tree for “balled and burlapped trees” (when the roots and soil are contained within a tied burlap bag), $100 for Christmas trees and wreaths and $600 for soil.

The following table shows the list of new fees.

Item	Single-Entry Import Permit or Transit Authorisation	Multiple-Entry Import Permit
1. Plant growing medium/compost/organic fertiliser	$25	$300
2. Untreated and unprocessed wood and wood products	$25	$300
3. Crafts of plant origin	$25	$150
4. Live plants and propagative material	$150	Not applicable
5. Balled and burlapped trees	$200 per tree	Not applicable
6. Christmas trees and wreaths	$100	Not applicable
7. Consumable produce	$25	$550
8. Cut flowers	$40	$800
9. Tobacco products (excluding manufactured tobacco)	$30	$300
10. Decorative/landscape stone	$25	$150
11. Plant-based mulch	$25	$300
12. Packaged seed (less than 10 species)	$10	Not applicable
13. Packaged seed (more than 10 species)	$20	$150
14. Aggregate sample (less than 100 lbs)	$25	Not applicable
15. Aggregate sample (more than 100 lbs)	$300	$1,200
16. Soil	$600	Not applicable
17. Used agricultural or earthmoving equipment	$25	Not applicable
18. Express permit fee (within 24 hours)	$50	$150

Meeting details

The briefings from the Department of Agriculture will be held at Seafarers Hall in Prospect.

The first, for brokers and freight forwarders, will be held at 2pm on Monday, 19 Oct.

The second briefing, for importers and other stakeholders, will be held at 2pm, Wednesday, 21 Oct.

The meetings will also be available via Zoom for those unable to attend in person, the department said.

“These meetings are intended to ensure that stakeholders understand their responsibilities before the new legislation takes effect and have an opportunity to ask questions, seek clarification and raise matters relevant to implementation,” it said.

Click here to view the Plant Protection Regulations.

Click here to view the Plant Protection Act (2023).

For more information, contact the Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Health Inspection Services at CIagricultureimports@gov.ky, or call 946-2967/947-3090.