CBP / BPA CBP Agriculture & Prohibited Items 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), CBP enforces restrictions on which category of goods?
- All foreign-manufactured luxury goods
- Wildlife and wildlife products from protected species (Correct answer)
- Counterfeit designer merchandise
- Foreign-grown organic produce
Correct answer: Wildlife and wildlife products from protected species
CITES is an international treaty that CBP enforces by restricting the import and export of endangered or protected wildlife and wildlife products.
Question 2: Which law prohibits the importation of plants and plant products that could carry foreign plant pests into the United States?
- The Alien Invasive Species Act
- The Plant Protection Act (PPA) (Correct answer)
- The Foreign Agriculture Quarantine Act
- The Customs Modernization Act
Correct answer: The Plant Protection Act (PPA)
The Plant Protection Act authorizes USDA APHIS and CBP to regulate the import of plants and plant materials to prevent the introduction of foreign plant pests.
Question 3: A traveler arrives with soil-covered hiking boots from a rural area abroad. What should the CBP officer do?
- Wave the traveler through since boots are personal items
- Require the boots to be cleaned or treated before entry to prevent introduction of soil-borne pests (Correct answer)
- Confiscate the boots permanently
- Issue a fine and allow the traveler to continue
Correct answer: Require the boots to be cleaned or treated before entry to prevent introduction of soil-borne pests
Soil on footwear can contain foreign plant pathogens or pests, so CBP can require cleaning or treatment before allowing entry.
Question 4: Which of the following is a prohibited item that CBP officers specifically look for because it can harbor citrus canker disease?
- Canned citrus juice
- Fresh citrus fruits from certain countries (Correct answer)
- Citrus-flavored candies
- Dried citrus peel sold as a spice
Correct answer: Fresh citrus fruits from certain countries
Fresh citrus fruits from countries with citrus canker disease are restricted or prohibited to protect U.S. citrus crops from this bacterial disease.
Question 5: Under U.S. law, what is the maximum civil penalty a CBP officer can assess for importing a prohibited plant without declaration?
- $500
- $1,000
- $10,000 (Correct answer)
- $50,000
Correct answer: $10,000
Civil penalties for importing prohibited agricultural items without declaration can reach up to $10,000 per violation under the Agricultural Quarantine Inspection program.
Question 6: A passenger from Australia declares a wooden walking stick. What agricultural risk does CBP consider?
- Fire risk from dry wood
- Wood-boring insects or bark that could harbor foreign pests (Correct answer)
- Customs duty on carved wooden items
- Potential use as a weapon
Correct answer: Wood-boring insects or bark that could harbor foreign pests
Untreated wood products can harbor wood-boring insects, fungi, or bark pieces that introduce foreign pests into U.S. forests.
CBP / BPA CBP Agriculture & Prohibited Items 2
Under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), CBP enforces restrictions on which category of goods?