(a) This part may be cited by the short title: “Safeguard Regulations.” This title shall be understood to include both the regulations and administrative instructions in this part.

(b) Words used in the singular form in this part shall be deemed to import the plural and vice versa as the case may demand. For purposes of this part, unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms shall be construed, respectively, to mean:

Administrative instructions. Published documents set forth in this part relating to the enforcement of this part, and issued under authority thereof by the Deputy Administrator.

Biological control organism. Any enemy, antagonist, or competitor used to control a plant pest or noxious weed.

Brought in for temporary stay where unloading or landing is not intended. Brought in by carrier but not intended to be unloaded or landed from such carrier. This phrase includes movement (i) departing from the United States on the same carrier directly from the point of arrival therein; and (ii) transiting a part of the United States before departure therefrom, and applies whether movement under Customs procedure is as residue cargo or follows some form of Customs entry.

Carrier; means of conveyance. Automobile, truck, animal-drawn vehicle, railway car, aircraft, ship, or other means of transportation.

Customs. The U.S. Customs Service, Department of the Treasury, or, with reference to Guam, the Customs Office of the Government of Guam.

Deputy Administrator. The Deputy Administrator of the Plant Protection and Quarantine Programs or any employee of the Plant Protection and Quarantine Programs delegated to act in his or her stead.

Foreign trade zone. A formally prescribed area containing various physical facilities located in or adjacent to ports of entry under the jurisdiction of the United States and established, operated, and maintained as a foreign trade zone pursuant to the Foreign-Trade Zones Act of June 18, 1934 (48 Stat. 998-1003; 19 U.S.C. 81a-81u), as amended, wherein foreign merchandise, as well as domestic merchandise, may be deposited for approved purposes. Movement into and from such area is subject to applicable customs, plant quarantine, and other Federal requirements.

Immediate (export, trans-shipment, or transportation and exportation). The period which, in the opinion of the inspector, is the shortest practicable interval of time between the arrival of an incoming carrier and the departure of the outgoing carrier transporting a consignment of prohibited or restricted products or articles.

Inspector. Any individual authorized by the Administrator of APHIS or the Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security, to enforce the regulations in this part.

Intended for unloading and entry at a port other than the port of first arrival. Brought in by carrier at a port for movement to the port of entry under residue cargo procedure of Customs.

Noxious weed. Any plant or plant product that can directly or indirectly injure or cause damage to crops (including nursery stock or plant products), livestock, poultry, or other interests of agriculture, irrigation, navigation, the natural resources of the United States, the public health, or the environment.

Other product or article. Any product or article of any character whatsoever (other than plants, plant products, soil, plant pests, and means of conveyance), which an inspector considers may be infested or infected by or contain a plant pest.

Owner. The owner, or his agent (including the operator of a carrier), having responsible custody of a plant, plant product, plant pest, soil, or other product or article subject to this part.

Person. Any individual, partnership, corporation, association, joint venture, society, or other legal entity.

Plant pest. Any living stage of any of the following that can directly or indirectly injure, cause damage to, or cause disease in any plant or plant product: A protozoan, nonhuman animal, parasitic plant, bacterium, fungus, virus or viroid, infectious agent or other pathogen, or any article similar to or allied with any of the plant pests listed in this definition.

Plant Protection Act. Title IV of Public Law 106-224, 114 Stat. 438, 7 U.S.C. 7701-7772, which was enacted June 20, 2000.

Plant Protection and Quarantine Programs. The Plant Protection and Quarantine Programs, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Plants and plant products. Nursery stock, other plants, plant parts, roots, bulbs, seeds, fruits, nuts, vegetables, and other plant products, and any product constituted, in whole or in part, of plant material which has not been so manufactured or processed as to eliminate pest risk.

Port. Any place designated by the President, Secretary of the Treasury, or Congress at which a Customs officer is assigned with authority to accept entries of merchandise, to collect duties, and to enforce the various provisions of the Customs and Navigation laws in force at that place.

Port of arrival. Any port in the United States at which a prohibited or restricted product or article arrives.

Port of entry. A port at which a specified shipment or means of conveyance is accepted for entry or admitted without entry into the United States.

Residue cargo. Shipments authorized by Customs to be transported under the Customs bond of the carrier on which the shipments arrive, without entry being filed, for direct export from the first port of arrival, or to another port for entry or for direct export at that port without entry being required.

Safeguard. A procedure for handling, maintaining, or disposing of prohibited or restricted products and articles subject to this part so as to eliminate the risk of plant pest dissemination which the prohibited or restricted products and articles may present.

Ship. Any means of transportation by water.

Soil. The unconsolidated material from the earth's surface that consists of rock and mineral particles and that supports or is capable of supporting biotic communities.

Stores and furnishings. Plants and plant products for use on board a carrier; e.g. as food or decorative material.

United States. The States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands of the United States, and the territorial waters of the United States adjacent to those land areas.

Unloaded or landed for transportation and exportation. Brought in by carrier and transferred to another carrier for transportation to another port for exportation, whether or not some form of Customs entry is made.

Unloaded or landed for transshipment and exportation. Brought in by carrier and transferred to another carrier for exportation from the same port, whether or not some form of Customs entry is made.

[25 FR 1929, Mar. 5, 1960, as amended at 36 FR 24917, Dec. 24, 1971; 37 FR 10554, May 25, 1972; 62 FR 65009, Dec. 10, 1997; 66 FR 21059, Apr. 27, 2001; 71 FR 49325, Aug. 23, 2006; 84 FR 29966, June 25, 2019]