Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) posted a notification on China¡¯s policies for shipments from Zika-affected countries*, which it indicated was ¡°not official USDA guidance¡±.

As a follow-up, APL sought verification with China¡¯s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) directly. Yesterday, we received an official statement stating that with effect from 2 September 2016, Zika disinsection requirements for United States-originated vessel and containers are only applicable to shipments from Florida.

 Vessels that originate from other parts of the U.S., and has not berthed at any Zika-affected country or territory* where loading or unloading of any person or cargo content is carried out, would not require Zika disinsection certification when they call at ports in China.

 However, if during the course of routine inspection, local CIQ officials discover any adult mosquitoes, pupa, larva or eggs, or infected cases (confirmed or suspected), the vessel and/or its contents will be subject to appropriate disinsection procedures.

 If there are loading or unloading activities of either people or cargo at any Zika-affected country or territory*, the proof of Zika disinsection is still required.

 *Note: Please find below the list of Zika-affected countries and territories issued by AQSIQ (as of 20 September 2016). Singapore and Malaysia have been added to the list recently.

 American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua, Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Bonaire, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Jamaica, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Martinique Island, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Singapore, Sint Maarten, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Thailand, Tonga, United States of America (limited to the State of Florida), United States Virgin Islands, The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Turks and Caicos Islands, The Philippines and Vietnam.

 For more information, please contact your local APL representative. We thank you for your business and continued support.