NAFTA Label Update

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NAFTA Label Update

• Jim Gray
• North Dakota Dept of Agriculture
• WRPM
• May 16, 2007

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Regulatory Harmonization
Free Trade In Ag Outputs
PESTICIDE HARMONIZATION
North American Market for Pesticides
Equal Access To Pesticide Uses
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A Little on the TWG

• NAFTA Technical Working Group on Pesticides (
  NAFTA TWG)
• EPA, PMRA, and CICOPLFEST reps
• Commonly called the TWG or Working Group

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TWG NAFTA Label Sub-Team

• U.S. Canadian growers requested formation of
  sub-team at TWG public stakeholder December 2005
• Sub-team would be focused on resolving barriers
  to creating North American pesticide market
• Would consider long-term short-term strategies

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• Long-term strategy NAFTA Label
• - Negates need for re-labeling prior to import
• Short-term strategy U.S. Own Use Import (OUI)
  system
• - Generally mirrors Canadian OUI program
• - Re-labeling done at dealer level

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A Little on Semantics

• NAFTA Label is a term of art
• Mexico is not participating on NAFTA label
  subteam
• NAFTA label is being used to refer to joint
  U.S./Canadian labeling
• Could expand to include Mexico in the future

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TWG NAFTA Label Sub-Team

• Composition
• - EPA PMRA staff
• - Growers from U.S. Canada
• - Registrants from U.S. Canada
• - Agricultural pesticide retailers
• - J. Gray, ND Dept of Ag

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Summary of NAFTA Label Options

• Dual label option
• Joint labeled option
• E-label option
• As if e-label option(s)
• Dealer distribution
• Separate sleeves

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Status of NAFTA labeling

• One NAFTA label approved to date
• Far-Go/Avadex (Gowan Company)

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Status of NAFTA Labeling

• Several other NAFTA labels in some stage of
  completion for 2007 or 2008
• Gavel (Dow AgroSciences)
• Reflex (Syngenta)
• Clarity/Banvel II (BASF)
• Spinosad (Dow AgroSciences)
• Everest (Arysta)
• Tanos (DuPont)
• Betamix (Bayer)
• Bifenthrin (FMC)

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Status of NAFTA Labeling

• Three new pesticide formulations slated for NAFTA
  labels
• Pyroxsulam (Dow AgroSciences)
• Metaflumizone (BASF)
• Mandipropamid (Syngenta)

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Status of NAFTA Labels

• Regulatory barriers to NAFTA labeling largely
  resolved
• Ideal format for NAFTA labeling still being
  discussed
• E-label best long-term option
• As if e-label being used in interim
• Still looking at strategies for widespread use
  and adoption of NAFTA labels

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NAFTA Labels Remaining Issues

• U.S. Customs
• SLA feedback on enforcement and state
  registration programs
• E-labeling

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U.S. Customs Issues

• Need for an import broker?
• Formal vs Informal entries
• Import duties
• Are NAFTA-labeled pesticides considered to be
  NAFTA products?
• Consistency and predictability

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SLA Feedback on NAFTA Labels

• First questionnaire sent to 13 states per
  industrys request
• CA, AZ, FL, NY, WA, OR, TX, MA, HI, ID, CO, IN,
  SD
• Received responses from six states (CA, AZ, WA,
  CO, FL, NY)
• Questionnaire sent through AAPCO listserve early
  May 07 to solicit more extensive feedback

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NAFTA E-Label Issues

• E-labeling the best long-term format for NAFTA
  labeling
• Instantaneous label revisions
• Accommodates different label revision processes
  between U.S. and Canada
• Allows users to find geographic-specific label
  components

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Summary Next Steps

• One NAFTA label approved, more in the works
• Need to create a system that results in
  widespread adoption of NAFTA labels by
  registrants
• Incentives?
• Legislative mandate?

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Summary Next Steps

• Need to address U.S. Customs issues
• Legislation?
• Need to continue to solicit SLA input on
  enforcement and state registration issues
• Use NAFTA labels to push work on e-labeling

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What is Pesticide Harmonization?

• Its a way of regulating pesticides from a North
  American perspective