Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced the implementation of Phase VII of the Lacey Act. This extends coverage to a wider range of products. Now, declarations will be required for all plant products, including wooden furniture and timber, unless they are made of 100% composite materials. Per the Federal Register notice: “Currently, most of HTS chapter 4412 has already been implemented, with two specified exemptions. APHIS established the exemptions in 2009 as a temporary exception for plywood that contained composite material. Since then, APHIS has established a special use designation for such material and is therefore eliminating the exemptions, and the entire chapter will be covered.” …Phase VII includes a wider range of products including industrial or medicinal plants, purses, plywood, laminated wood, tools, matches with natural wood stems, footwear, as well as goods made of natural cork, bamboo, and rattan.