| The following GAIN reports were released on February 3, 2025. _______ This report outlines specific requirements for food and agricultural product imports into Austria. As a member of the European Union, Austria follows EU directives and regulations. U.S. food and agricultural suppliers to Austria should verify with local importers and appropriate U.S. regulatory agencies for the most current local requirements prior to shipping. It is recommended that this report be read in conjunction with the EU Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Report. At the beginning of 2025, a newly introduced deposit on single use beverage bottles (plastic bottles and single-use glass bottles) and beverage cans becomes mandatory. Austria as a member of the European Union (EU), applies EU regulations to the imports of agricultural products. U.S. export certification requirements for most products destined for the EU are harmonized. The few products which are not harmonized are subject to national regulations. Importers or exporters may need to consult with Austrian authorities to address import requirements for non-harmonized products on a case-by-case basis. Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has initiated a consultation on a proposal to revoke the maximum residue limit (MRL) for tebuconazole on grapes. If finalized, the legal MRL for tebuconazole on grapes in Canada would lower from 5.0 ppm to Canada's general MRL (GMRL) of 0.1 ppm. The GMRL would apply to all grapes entering the Canadian market, including imports. PMRA will host a 75-day consultation period for stakeholders to respond to the proposal to revoke the MRL. The consultation is open until April 13, 2025. This report provides a synopsis of Egyptian trade shows attended by FAS/Cairo, USDA Cooperators, and State, Regional Trade Groups in 2024. It includes FAS/Cairo recommendations as to which in-country trade shows present the best opportunity for showcasing U.S. food and beverage exports in Egypt. Notably, FAS/Cairo recommends Food Africa (December 2025) as the leading trade exhibition event for U.S. companies and USDA Cooperators seeking to promote their products in the Egyptian market. FAS/Tokyo projects Japan's forage demand to continue to be sluggish in MY2024/25 due to the slow recovery of cattle inventories. Even weaker demand for imported forage is anticipated as farmers shift to price-competitive domestic forage. Japan's Ministry of Agriculture increased support payments to expand its domestic forage production and improve supply chains for domestic forage. From a geographical and regulatory viewpoint, Iceland has a unique environment for marketing U.S. food products with, or without, any biotech content and/or conducting research on biotech applications. This is because Iceland has not yet implemented the EU legislation for genetically modified organisms (GMOs). On January 3, India's Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) announced a new timeline to comply with its food labeling requirements. Effective immediately, FSSAI has marked July 1 of each year as the implementation date for any new or amended labeling regulation. The timeline also includes a minimum 180-day window for compliance by food business operators. India's northeast monsoon began on October 15, five days ahead of schedule, however, cumulative rainfall between October and December was three percent lower than the fifty-year average according to India's Meteorological Department (IMD). The monsoon officially withdrew from Tamil Nadu on January 27, four weeks later than the average withdrawal date of December 20. IMD has forecast normal to above normal rainfall between January to March over most parts of the country. On December 30, 2024, the Ministry of Trade and Integration announced the first stage of 2025 meat and poultry quotas by HS code for historic suppliers (i.e., importers). The first stage approved the distribution of 2,835 tons of beef and 31,500 tons of poultry. The 2025 TRQ volumes and rates remain unchanged from those announced in 2024. U.S. exporters are advised that shipping, transportation, and customs clearance delays related to the geopolitical situation have been reported in several Baltic and Caspian Sea ports of entry, and along ground transportation routes in Eastern Europe. Mexico is a leading global producer of blueberries, ranking sixth worldwide. Production is forecast at 73,500 metric tons (MT) for calendar year (CY) 2025, representing a nine percent decrease from CY 2024 based on a shortened harvest period. Mexico's CY 2025 exports are forecast at 70,000 MT and imports at 20,000 MT. While still well below the annual per capita consumption levels of the United States and other leading global blueberry consumers, Mexico's consumption more than doubled from 2023 to 2024 with increasing consumer awareness of the berries and related health benefits. The United States is expected to remain both Mexico's number one blueberry export market and its top supplier. This report describes the current trends and developments of the industrial hemp sector in the Netherlands. Key highlight include the Netherlands' National Approach Biobased Building, a strategy for construction through which it aims to have 30 percent of all newly built houses and utility buildings constructed with at least 30 percent bio-based construction materials by 2030. Hemp can play a role in this ambition. The report further provides an overview of the Dutch hemp market, and may be read as update to NL2020-0015 An Overview of the Dutch Hemp Market.
For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/. | 
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