Presidential Memorandum Calls for Regulatory Freeze Until March 21st

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February 2, 2017

Authored by: Jacob M. Lehmann

On January 20, President Trump signed a memorandum postponing until March 21st the effective dates of all recently published agency regulations. Furthermore, agency directors are counseled to review these proposed rules and to determine those which may require additional time for consideration and public comment. Proposed rules for “urgent circumstances”, such as those concerned with health, safety, crucial financial, or national security issues, may be exempt.

The memorandum has already affected certain filing procedures which may be important for foreign producers. An Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) final rule allowing the importation of lemons from northwestern Argentina has been stayed. Other rules which would harmonize EPA emissions standards documentation filing procedures with CBP’s ACE filing system and would do away with blanket negative certifications for shipments of like commodities to the same port of entry were also withdrawn.