
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 2, 2001]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 2, 2001 and January 28, 2002]
[CITE: 7USC1581]

 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
                            CHAPTER 37--SEEDS
 
                    SUBCHAPTER III--FOREIGN COMMERCE
 
Sec. 1581. Prohibitions relating to importations

    The importation into the United States is prohibited of--
        (1) any agricultural or vegetable seeds if any such seed 
    contains noxious-weed seeds or the labeling of which is false or 
    misleading in any respect;
        (2) screenings of any seeds subject to this subchapter (except 
    that this shall not apply to screenings of wheat, oats, rye, barley, 
    buckwheat, field corn, sorghum, broomcorn, flax, millet, proso, 
    soybeans, cowpeas, field peas, or field beans, which are not 
    imported for seeding purposes and are declared for cleaning, 
    processing, or manufacturing purposes, and not for seeding 
    purposes);
        (3) any seed containing 10 per centum or more of any 
    agricultural or vegetable seeds, unless the invoice pertaining to 
    such seed and any other labeling of such seed bear a lot 
    identification and the name of each kind and variety of vegetable 
    seed present in any amount and each kind or kind and variety of 
    agricultural seed present in excess of 5 per centum of the whole, 
    and unless in the case of hybrid seed present in excess of 5 per 
    centum of the whole it is designated as hybrid.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ So in original. The period probably should be a semicolon.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        (4) any agricultural seeds or any mixture thereof, or any 
    vegetable seeds or any mixture thereof, for seeding purposes, that 
    have been treated, unless each container thereof bears a label 
    giving the following information and statements in accordance with 
    rules and regulations prescribed under section 1592 of this title:
            (A) A word or statement indicating that the seeds have been 
        treated;
            (B) The commonly accepted coined, chemical (generic), or 
        abbreviated chemical name of any substance used in such 
        treatment;
            (C) If the substance used in such treatment in the amount 
        remaining with the seeds is harmful to humans or other 
        vertebrate animals, an appropriate caution statement approved by 
        the Secretary of Agriculture as adequate for the protection of 
        the public, such as ``Do not use for food or feed or oil 
        purposes''; Provided, That the caution statement for mercurials 
        and similarly toxic substances, as defined in said rules and 
        regulations, shall be a representation of a skull and crossbones 
        and a statement such as ``This seed has been treated with 
        POISON'', in red letters on a background of distinctly 
        contrasting color; and
            (D) A description, approved by the Secretary of Agriculture 
        as adequate for the protection of the public, of any process 
        used in such treatment.

(Aug. 9, 1939, ch. 615, title III, Sec. 301, 53 Stat. 1282; Pub. L. 85-
581, Sec. 12, Aug. 1, 1958, 72 Stat. 478; Pub. L. 89-686, Secs. 13, 14, 
Oct. 15, 1966, 80 Stat. 978; Pub. L. 97-439, Sec. 5(b)(1), Jan. 8, 1983, 
96 Stat. 2288; Pub. L. 103-465, title IV, Sec. 441(1), Dec. 8, 1994, 108 
Stat. 4973.)


                               Amendments

    1994--Pub. L. 103-465 struck out ``(a)'' before ``The importation'' 
in introductory provisions, struck out ``, or is required to be stained 
and is not so stained, under the terms of this subchapter,'' after 
``noxious-weed seeds'' in par. (1), redesignated pars. (4) and (5) as 
(3) and (4), respectively, and struck out former par. (3) which read as 
follows: ``any seed containing 10 per centum or more of the seeds of 
alfalfa or red clover, which has been stained prior to being offered for 
entry in a manner that does not permit compliance with the provisions of 
this subchapter and the regulations made and promulgated thereunder.''
    1983--Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 97-439 substituted ``any agricultural 
or vegetable seeds if any such seed contains noxious weed seeds'' for 
``any seed containing 10 per centum or more of any agricultural or 
vegetable seeds if any such seed is adulterated or unfit for seeding 
purposes''.
    1966--Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 89-686, Sec. 13, prohibited 
importation of any seed containing 10 per centum or more of any 
agricultural seeds and prescribed as additional prerequisites to 
importation a lot identification for the invoice and any other labeling, 
the kind and variety of seed present in any amount, each kind or kind 
and variety of seed present in excess of 5 per centum of the whole, and 
hybrid designation in case of hybrid seed present in excess of 5 per 
centum of the whole.
    Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 89-686, Sec. 14, added par. (5).
    1958--Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 85-581 added par. (4).


                    Effective Date of 1994 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 103-465 effective on the date of entry into 
force of the WTO Agreement with respect to the United States (Jan. 1, 
1995), except as otherwise provided, see section 451 of Pub. L. 103-465, 
set out as an Effective Date note under section 3601 of Title 19, 
Customs Duties.


                             Effective Date

    See section 1610 of this title.
