The ETHTaipei Ethereum Developer Conference is set to take place from March 21 to March 24 in Taipei featuring a lineup of international speakers and teams, including Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. ETHTaipei is expected to attract over 1,000 attendees.

The four-day event includes two days of conferences and a 40-hour hackathon, offering a direct exchange platform for both Taiwanese and international developers. Topics will focus around Ethereum, ZK (Zero Knowledge), DeFi, and Security, with discussions on latest trends and developments in blockchain technology such as the restaking ecosystem, applications and products of ZK, and the innovative interplay between ZK and AI.

Vitalik Buterin to Share Ethereum's Post-Dencun Upgrade Vision

ETHTaipei will feature a number of high-profile speakers, including Vitalik Buterin, who will deliver a keynote talk on the first day of the conference (March 21). Buterin will share his vision for the future of blockchain and Ethereum, following the recent Dencun upgrade.

The Dencun upgrade, which was completed today, will help improve the performance and scalability of the Ethereum network. At ETHTaipei, Buterin will share more about Ethereum's long-term roadmap and his thoughts on the development of the entire blockchain ecosystem. He will also participate in two panel discussions with researchers and leaders from L1 and L2 solutions, including Optimism, Polygon, Zircuit, and Metis.

Hackathon Prize Pool Reaches $65,000

The hackathon, which kicks off on the evening of March 22, has already accumulated a prize pool exceeding $65,000. The prize pool comes from a number of well-known domestic and international teams, including Consensys, Polygon, OP Labs, Mint Club, Ora, Zircuit, MACI, Ten Protocol, Dyson, Morpheus Labs, OpSec, ThunderCoreScrollSpacemesh, and more.

The hackathon will be held in a hybrid format, allowing for online anonymous participation. On-site amenities include a 24-hour Hacker House and a variety of snacks and beverages, fostering collaboration among developers. Industry experts will serve as hackathon mentors, enabling participants to engage with seasoned professionals and rapidly enhance their skills.

Circle and Quantstamp to Recruit On-Site

Several blockchain companies, including Circle, Quantstamp, XY Finance, and AppWorks, will be present at the booth area, offering face-to-face interactions and recruitment opportunities for developers. In addition, Taiwan Ministry of Digital Affairss Digi Gold Card program will be providing consultation services at the event, with the aim of attracting more foreign digital talent to Taiwan and contributing to the development of the country's digital economy. Nuvo will also be offering on-site tasks and event surprises to add to the fun for attendees and hackers.

ETHTaipei has garnered enthusiastic support from various enterprises. BTSE generously sponsors coffee, Taiwan Mobile provides high-speed broadband internet, and KlickKlack offers wireless network equipment, and we also get vouchers from ShiYun Fried Chicken. Attendees can also enjoy exclusive treats from PaperPlane and several bars. Expect a rich agenda and delightful dining experiences, making this a memorable gathering in Taipei.

ETHTaipei 2024 Event Information

Date: March 21-24, 2024 Location: POPUP Taipei Tickets and event information:https://ethtaipei.org/

Media Contact

ETHTaipei Team ethtaipei23@gmail.com Hana Chang +886-975-856-705

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ETHTaipei: Vitalik Buterin to Share Ethereum's Post-Dencun Upgrade Vision - U.Today

Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of the Ethereum network, identifies Layer-2 scaling solutions as a key element for the platforms advancement. Enabled by the Layer-2 upgrade, the Dencun, which dramatically brought down transaction fees on dApps, he called for development efforts now.

In his opinion, the previous decade has been all about Ethereums internal development; however, the world impact is to come during the next one. The upgrade on Dencun led to a bridge that aims to facilitate two-layer Layer-2 improvements in scalability, privacy, and security.

This shift does not diminish the significance of Layer-1, which will still be the base upon which Layer-2 may be pinned. Nevertheless, a mindset shift would be pivotal for Layer-1 development to transition into a deceleration phase, as this is a critical step towards network stability.

However, Buterin stresses the progress made in the Layer-1 area, among which zero-knowledge-proofs (ZKPs) are recent inventions that make it possible to scale and provide users with privacy. Those tools are examples of how it may become easier to create dApps with Layer-2.

According to him, developers have to be proficient in Layer-2 mechanisms and modern development infrastructure to address challenges related to speed, security, and privacy.

In this case, Ethereum will only achieve its goal to migrate from the old internet and blockchain paradigms to the new ones if Buterins theory holds true and propels Ethereum to significantly impact the internet and traditional finance.

The recent rapid fee reduction across platforms like zkSync Era, StarkNet, Base, and Optimism is creating more room for growth in the number of people interacting with Ethereum.

Also Read: MANTRA Aims to Bring RWA Tokenization to The Middle East and Asia

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Ethereum Shifts Focus to Layer-2 for Scalability and Growth - Crypto Times

Ethereum is already well-positioned to mitigate the impact of a massive quantum computing attack on the network, according to Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin.

In a March 9 post to Ethereum Research, Buterin discussed what would happen if a quantum emergency happened as early as tomorrow.

Suppose that it is announced tomorrow that quantum computers are available, and bad actors already have access to them and are able to use them to steal users funds, Buterin postulated.

The blockchain would have to hard fork and users would have to download new wallet software, but few users would lose their funds, he added.

Buterin explained that the process of such a hard fork would involve rolling back the Ethereum network to the point where it is clear that large-scale theft was occurring and disabling all traditional transactions from that point.

Ethereum developers would then add a new transaction type which forms part of the Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) 7560 to allow transactions from smart contract wallets.

When a user makes a transaction from their Ethereum wallet, the signature of that transaction reveals the public key, and in a post-quantum world, this would see the users private key revealed as well.

The new transaction type that forms the core part of the quantum-resist EIP would leverage Winternitz signatures and zero-knowledge proof technologies known as STARKs to ensure that existing wallets are switched to new validation code, he added.

This validation code leverages ERC-4337 account abstraction the underlying technology of smart contract wallets to prevent private keys from being displayed while signing transactions in the future, rendering these accounts immune from a quantum attack.

Related:Ethereum leans into rollup-centric future as Dencun hard fork looms

According to Buterin, users who have never approved a transaction from an Ethereum wallet are already safe from any potential quantum-related exploit, as only the wallet address has ever been made publicly available.

He also added that the infrastructure needed to implement such as hard fork could in principle start to be built tomorrow.

The advent of quantum computing has been a long-feared inflection point for the crypto industry, as a computer capable of breaking blockchain encryption could see once-untouchable user funds stolen in large volumes and at rapid rates.

However, most computer scientists and developers believe that quantum computing is still a ways off, with Google and IBM engineers estimating that quantum computing wont be sufficiently developed until 2029 at the earliest.

Magazine: Google to fix diversity-borked Gemini AI, ChatGPT goes insane:AI Eye

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A 'simple' hard fork could subvert a quantum attack on Ethereum: Vitalik Buterin - Cointelegraph

Valeria Blokhina

Check out the latest crypto news over the weekend in U.Today's news digest

U.Today summarized its top three news stories about the most important crypto events over the past weekend, check them out.

Despite Bitcoin exploring new highs, CryptoQuant analytics platform is warning market participants that the largest crypto could experiencea major correction soon. In a recentX thread, the analytics platform shared some factors backing the case, underscoring "the Bull-Bear Market Cycle Indicator has flagged an Overheated-Bull phase as prices soared above $65K." Another factor mentioned is miners being overpaid as profitability jumped to the highest level since December 2023. Additionally, CryptoQuant highlighted that traders' unrealized profit margins have reached 57%, which is historically associated with upcoming corrections as traders are bound to take profits eventually. While the platform has not offered its insights into how steep Bitcoin might fall with the impending correction, its founder and CEO Ki Young Ju shared earlier that Bitcoin is likely not going to return to its spot BTC ETF listing price around $46,376.

On Saturday, March 9, Shiba Inu lead Shytoshi Kusama took to X platformto urge the SHIB community to vote for the Bone ShibaSwap (BONE) token as it stands a chance to be listed on the Binance Futures platform. Last week, Binance unveiled a new tool dubbed Binance Futures Next, which allows the community to cast votes for the tokens they want to see listed on the Binance Futures market. At the moment of writing, BONE is ranked fifth on the platform by picks, which comprise 49,205. It is trailing behind Delysium (182,296 picks), Milady Meme Coin (121,755 picks), Baby Doge Coin (67,842 picks) and Metis (65,400). Kusama then added in his next X post that since not all countries can take part in the voting, he urges the SHIB army to press on and help the token to get to first place. Boosted by the news of the potential Binance listing, BONE soared by more than 23% on Friday. Currently, BONE is trading at $1.10, down 0.12% over the past 24 hours.

In a recent blog post, Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterinhas shared insights regarding his brain child's resilience against potential quantum threats. He drew attention to the inherent vulnerability of ETH addresses as well as the implications of quantum computing on cryptographic operations. Utilizing the Ethereum blockchain's architecture, Buterin suggested a feasible approach for reducing the risks associated with quantum computing. His approach combines the use of a strategic hard fork with quantum-resistant cryptographic techniques. By going back to a previous block and making changes to the transaction protocols, Ethereum might be able to prevent large-scale fund breaches. Buterin emphasizes the role of advanced cryptographic mechanisms such as STARKs in fortifying Ethereum's security posture against quantum threats. These developments, along with modifications to transaction types and validation processes, could make Ethereum more robust in the event of a quantum emergency.

About the author

Valeria Blokhina

Valeria is the community manager at U.Today. She is a crypto enthusiast and believes that cryptocurrency is the future of finance. Currently, Valeria covers the latest news in the world of crypto and blockchain.

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Bitcoin Shows 'Overheating Signal,' Major Correction Possible; SHIB Lead Issues Crucial BONE Call, Vitalik Buterin Shares Ethereum's Strategy Against...

AEGIS token, associated with the Aegis AI smart contract auditing platform, experienced a significant surge, marking a 92% increase within the last 24 hours, reaching a peak at $0.2987.

This growth comes amid expectations of forthcoming advancements in the Aegis AI ecosystem, as noted by a crypto influencer known as Jolly Green Investor. The influencers enthusiasm was shared in a statement highlighting Aegis AIs imminent introduction of its AI-based security tools, designed to address vulnerabilities in the crypto domain. These tools include AI-powered smart contract audits, token legitimacy audits, protocol monitoring, and bug bounty programs, all part of the soon-to-launch Aegis AI dApp.

According to the crypto influencer, the surge in AEGIS token value is closely linked to Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterins emphasis on the need for AI in smart contract auditing and bug detection.

Via an X post on Feb. 19, Buterin expressed his optimism about the use of AI for formal verification of code and identifying bugs, pinpointing this as one of the most significant technical risks currently faced by Ethereum. He advocated for AIs potential to revolutionize this aspect, marking a significant stride towards enhancing security and reliability.

As such, Jolly Green highlighted that Buterins encouragement for Ethereum projects to develop AI-based solutions, combined with the growing anticipation around the Ethereum ETF, positions AEGIS uniquely at the forefront of addressing these challenges.

Further insights were provided by a user responding to the influencer, referencing a recent AMA that unveiled additional features of the Aegis ecosystem. These features include a Bitsensor subnet, an operating system, a DePIN ecosystem, and SKL-based licensing, among others. This expansion introduces new revenue streams for AEGIS token holders, offering them an 80% revenue share.

As of press time, the AEGIS tokens price has adjusted to $0.2452, still marking an impressive 64.3% increase over the previous 24 hours.

The surge in AEGIS price comes as cryptocurrencies linked to AI, such as Fetch.ai, have demonstrated resilience and substantial growth, marking significant price increases amid a widespread market downturn. Further, a recent Coinbase report highlighted that AI-affiliated cryptocurrencies have surpassed the performance of major cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ether since the start of the last quarter of 2023.

Additionally, these tokens reportedly outperformed major AI-related stocks, including Nvidia and Microsoft, during the same period, underlining the growing role and potential of AI in the cryptocurrency sector.

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AEGIS token surges 92% on upcoming AI tool launches and market optimism - crypto.news

Key Takeaways

Ethereum enthusiasts have every reason to celebrate as the highly anticipated Dencun upgrade makes its debut. The hard fork could signal a pivotal leap for Layer 2 networks. Also, it is buoying hopes that Dencun can help keep ETHs priceabove $4,000.

This upgrade is far from routine, because it represents a significant leap forward in Ethereums ongoing development, with promises of marked enhancements in both efficiency and scalability.

Following last years Shapella upgrade, the Ethereum network is embarking on another evolutionary step with Dencun. This latest development introduces several enhancements aimed at accelerating transaction speeds and expanding Ethereums transactional capacity. A highlight of Dencun is the implementation of ephemeral data blobs through EIP-4844, also known as protodanksharding. Ethereum claims Dencun will reduce Layer 2 transaction fees dramatically.

Dencuns ambition doesnt stop at just making transactions faster. It also seeks to make them significantly cheaper. The upgrade aims to lower transaction fees from an average of $1 to just one cent. Indeed, for smaller transactions, the cost could be just a fraction of a cent. This reduction in fees aims to elevate the user experience, outpacing the benefits introduced by the Merge in September 2022.

Moreover, Dencun introduces a novel approach to data storage for Layer 2 networks with the introduction of blobs. These are designed to store data for about 18 days, thus optimizing costs and enhancing Ethereums scalability.

According to CCN Analyst Valdrin Tahiri, a recent market rally coincided with the Dencun upgrade for Ethereum. Although many indicators point towards a continued upswing, there are worries about the possibility of facing resistance at the $4,000 mark. Despite these concerns, Ethereum remains in a position to maintain its long-term upward trajectory towards setting a new all-time high.

However, EIP-4844 will not directly lead to lower transaction costs on the Ethereum mainnet. Nevertheless, Dencun could indirectly contribute to reduced transaction fees, potentially opening up new possibilities for on-chain activities. These could include on-chain gaming, generative art, and artificial intelligence applications, which were previously hindered by high costs.

EIP-4844 marks the beginning of the Surge phase for Ethereum, as outlined in the updated network roadmap by co-founder Vitalik Buterin in December. The ultimate aim of this phase is to achieve a throughput of 100,000 transactions per second. Following the Dencun update, Ethereums development focus may shift towards further enhancements, such as enabling Ethereum nodes to be run on mobile devices.

Buterin has also responded to a user on Twitter who voiced complaints about high transaction fees.

Tim Beiko, a key figure among Ethereum core developers, shared his enthusiasm on Twitter regarding the imminent Dencun upgrade. The developer community has shown robust engagement, with numerous client teams rolling out versions compatible with Dencun, featuring crucial enhancements for performance and stability.

The Gnosis Chains swift move to embrace the Dencun upgrade ahead of its introduction on the Ethereum mainnet has generated excitement. Joseph Lubin, co-founder of Ethereum, commended the initiative, underscoring its significance for the Ethereum ecosystem.

Some analysts and leading indicators are pointing towards a potential continuation of the current rally, suggesting the asset could reach new unprecedented highs. Influential crypto enthusiast Ali echoes this sentiment, arguing that Ethereums trajectory towards the $5,000 mark is becoming more apparent as resistance levels diminish. Ali highlighted the $4,522-$4,646 range as a critical supply zone, noting that its where nearly 600,000 addresses collectively possess over 1.63 million ETH.

Furthermore, data from the crypto analytics firm IntoTheBlock indicates that the assets recent surge in value has been advantageous for investors, with an impressive 95% of them currently enjoying unrealized gains.

However, there is one word of warning. When the much anticipated Merge saw Ethereum move to a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism in September 2022, ETH did not move anything like as much as it could have done. Investors will be hoping that Dencun will be better for Ether.

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Ethereum Dencun Upgrade: Will it Boost ETH Price or be Another Merge? - CCN.com

Key Takeaways

After Ethereum underwent Dencun upgrade to increase scalability and efficiency, ETH price has been sluggish. Meanwhile, rival blockchainSolanais just 35% down from its all-time high. Is the upgrade givingSolanaa competitive edge?

Ethereums Dencun went live on March 13 and marked a major step in scalability. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin took toWarpcastto state that they have hit a goal of Basic rollup scaling, which means theyve improved how Ethereum handles a lot of transactions at once.

He continues to state that now ETH is moving on to work on two new things: verkle trees and history expiry.

Verkle trees will make it possible for validators to do their job without needing a lot of computer memory. This is like having a really efficient way to check and keep the network secure without taking up almost nil disk space on the nodes. It will also make it much quicker for someone to start participating in the network as a validator to support the network on their own (solo staking).

Ethereumdeveloper Tim Beiko took to X to state that Dencun update is one of the most complicated changes theyve made to Ethereum since the Merge.

Beiko notes that it also has as many individual updates, known as EIPs (Ethereum Improvement Proposals), as a previous major update called Byzantium.

Meanwhile, ETH price has taken a hit on March 14 and is trading under the psychological level of $4K at press time.

Solanaon the other hand has clocked in gains. As per CoinGecko data, SOL is trading 36% under its all-time high which was surpassed in 2021. It has gained at least 13% in the run-up to the upgrade in 7 days.

The introduction of EIP-4844 is a crucial update as it aims to alter how transaction fees are calculated and reduce costs for L2s. For instance, ArbOS Atlas is also bringing about reductions in fees for users of Arbitrum One. But what is noteworthy is the hike in dollars locked on Solana. In March, the ecofriendly chain has continued to increase its total value locked (TVL) and is inching closer to $4b.

In 7 days, Solana also experienced a positive shift in investor behavior. As per CoinShares data, it attracted $24m in inflows, despite recently facing a downturn in market confidence due to network outage.

Meanwhile,Ethereum, which has had a strong year in terms of attracting investments, witnessed a slight retreat with $2.1m leaving the platform during the same period.

The Ethereum Dencun upgrade sets new benchmarks for scalability and efficiency for L2. Meanwhile, despite the February outage in Solana, inflows continue to pour in for the eco-friendly chain. As Ethereum gears up for further upgrades,Solanais making waves, potentially shaking up the second-largest chain competitively.

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Ethereum Dencun Upgrade: Solana Reaction is a Competitive Stir - CCN.com

If you're an idiot, go listen to Dave': Grant Cardone says to ignore Dave Ramsey if you want to get rich. Is he right to think most Americans are saving too much? Here's what the data says

Live on a strict budget and get out of debt as soon as possible. That's usually the advice given by personal finance expert Dave Ramsey to callers on his show.

However, real estate mogul Grant Cardone, warns it doesn't apply to most Americans and is only for "idiots" prone to overusing credit.

People use credit cards too much in this country ... They borrow money for Gucci belts and try to pretend to be somebody theyre not," he said in an interview with DJ Vlad. If youre an idiot, go listen to Dave. Cardone clarified that he uses credit cards himself, but he makes sure to never owe any interest.

According to the entrepreneur, most Americans suffer from saving too much, being too conservative and not taking enough risk. For those that want to get wealthy, at some point youre going to leave Daves advice and youre going to start watching what wealthy people do, he said.

He believes using leverage is necessary if you want to move to the next level. "If you want to build a $4 billion real estate portfolio you're going to have to use debt," he added.

"Well the debt you're talking about is not the debt that he's talking about," said DJ Vlad, to which Cardone replied, "That's right. 100%."

So are "most Americans" saving too much?

The U.S. personal saving rate calculated by the Bureau of Economic Analysis was 3.8% in Jan. 2024. This is the percentage of people's incomes left after they pay taxes and spend money. Historically, the saving rate has averaged about 6.2%, said Gus Faucher, chief economist of PNC Financial Services Group, to USA Today.

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A recent survey from Bankrate said that only 44% of U.S. adults would pay an emergency expense of $1,000 or more from their savings. Thirty-five percent would use a credit card, take out a personal loan or borrow from family and friends.

Cardone does not think that overspending with credit cards is a widespread problem.

Nevertheless, considering the increasing levels of credit card debt in the U.S., Ramseys guidance may still hold weight.

According to the latest data from the New York Fed, credit card balances surged $50 billion in Q4 2023 to $1.13 trillion a new all-time high.

Read more: Don't let high car insurance rates drain your bank account find how you can pay as little as $29 a month

Carrying credit card debt can be costly. Forbes Advisor says the average credit card interest rate in America currently sits at 27.94%.

Cardone recognized Ramseys contribution to peoples financial health.

I think Daves great for most people that just want to figure out how to get out of debt. Hes done a great job, Cardone remarked. But Im not going to take Daves advice to build a real estate portfolio because if you want to build a $4 billion real estate portfolio, youre going to have to use debt.

Cardone knows a thing or two about real estate. His private equity firm Cardone Capital boasts a multifamily portfolio of assets under management valued at over $4 billion.

In such ventures, debt can be a useful tool.

While its true that too much debt can be a bad thing, it can be one of the most powerful tools in a real estate investors arsenal, Cardone wrote in a blog post.

He explained that there is good debt and bad debt. Bad debt includes things that do not put money in your pocket, such as credit cards and car payments. Good debt, on the other hand, are investments that eventually help you build wealth.

Real estate is the best example of good debt because it has the potential to generate both capital appreciation and cash flow, Cardone noted.

These days, there are multiple ways to tap into real estate.

You can take on debt to directly purchase rental properties or you can buy shares of publicly-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs). You can also explore crowdfunding platforms that allow you to own a stake in private REITs or a percentage of physical real estate properties, like apartments, commercial buildings and even plots of land.

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

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'If you're an idiot, go listen to Dave': Grant Cardone says to ignore Dave Ramsey if you want to get rich. Is he right to ... - Yahoo Finance

As the U.S. Department of Agriculture prepares to launch its Strengthening Organic Enforcement regulations March 19, some wonder if unprepared companies will get left behind.

The new rule is the most significant change to organic certification since the programs start in 1990, and theres growing concern that large portions of the food industry importers, brokers, handlers and distributors havent made the necessary compliance changes.

Nate Ensrud shares this fear. As an executive with FoodChain ID, one of the largest organic certifiers in the U.S., hes noticed little action across the industry to meet SOEs changes.

Heres why thats a problem and how the industry can rise to the challenge.

Over the past three decades, the growth of the organic industry has out-scaled its initial regulations.Thats led to gaps in enforcement that allowed for loopholes and outright fraud.

The SOE rule is part of USDAs continuous improvement of the organic standards to meet the growing complexity of food supply chains, said a spokesperson for the USDAs Agricultural Marketing Service.

SOE closes gaps in the current regulations by making sure USDA can more completely oversee and enforce the supply chain that takes a certified organic product from farm to market, the spokesperson added. We are closing loopholes specifically in the certification process by requiring organic certification of more businesses in the supply chain, like brokers and traders that were not previously required to be certified. This better protects the USDA organic seal and keeps fraud out of the market.

Just days away from the deadline, Ensrud believes that non-compliance is inevitable and it will be disruptive.

Unfortunately, over the last few months, the net change in USDA National Organic Program (NOP) certified organic operations in the U.S. was essentially zero, Ensrud said That means there are thousands of companies, foreign and domestic, in the organic food supply chain that will need new certification.

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He believes that companies out of compliance will feel the pinch in a bevy of ways.

Heres one example, Ensrud said. Suppose a manufacturer of organic breakfast cereals finds that a handler of organic raisins in their supply chain hasnt pursued certification in light of SOE. Now the manufacturer must find a replacement, and it might suffer production disruption in the meantime.

Ensrud believes the most significant issue remains a need for more information.

Some organic suppliers are still unaware of the March 19 compliance requirements. Because importers, exporters, brokers, traders, and storage facilities have not historically been required to be certified, we believe there will be an increase in last-minute organic certification applications.

Ensrud is working to get the word out to avoid this pileup. Were reaching out to our customers with the message protect your supply chain. We recommend that organizations look at all suppliers on their supply chain and reach out to them to ensure they are aware of the new regulations and, if they need to apply for certification, to do so immediately.

As a starting point, he suggests that businesses perform self-assessments to gain insight into whether their operations require certification under the new regulations. FoodChain ID provides a quick starting point, and companies can also schedule a quick consultation with our organic certification experts here.

While the certification process seems overwhelming at the start, engaging with food certification or compliance companies offers a supportive way to meet the deadline without an interruption in the supply chain.

This story was originally published on Food Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Food Dive newsletter.

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USDA organic rules are changing. Is the food industry ready? - Yahoo Finance

To improve traceability and detect and protect organic integrity across the supply chain, the United States Department of Agriculture created the National Organic Program (NOP) Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rule, which will become effective on March 19, 2024. This means all organic imports into the United States must be declared as such and contain an associated NOP import certificate. Importers and exporters of organic products who sell, process, treat, pack, containerize, repackage, label or store agricultural products, regardless of the product packaging, must have organic certifications and be listed on an NOP import certificate. Food and beverage companies must take note and address this new rule.

Each certificate must have a unique identification number to provide an auditable record trail of the import, supporting traceability and verification of organic integrity as products travel from a certified organic exporter outside the U.S. to a certified U.S. importer. Certificates must contain detailed information about the quantity and origin of organic products being imported into the U.S. The importer or its customs broker must enter the NOP import certificate number into the U.S. Customs and Border Protections Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) system to associate the shipment details in ACE with the import certificate information.

Pursuant to 7 CFR 205.101 of the rule, the following operations are exempt from these requirements but must still comply with organic production and handling as well as applicable labeling requirements:

To obtain certification, the exporter must request an NOP import certificate from their certifier. They must identify products as organic on all export documents such as invoices, packing lists, bills of lading and U.S. Customs entry data and provide the NOP import certificate to the importer. The exporter must also verify that the product has not been exposed to a prohibited substance, treated with a prohibited substance because of fumigation, or treated with ionizing radiation at any point in the products movements across the country border.

Similarly, importers must ensure that they have accurate NOP import certificates and ensure products are identified as organic on all import documentation and customs entry data. They must maintain import documents and provide them during inspections. Importers also must verify that shipments do not come into contact with prohibited substances or be exposed to ionizing radiation since export and have a documented organic control system to conduct this verification.

U.S. food and beverage importers should take immediate action to comply with the SOE rule by taking the following steps:

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Are you ready for USDA's new organic certification requirements? - RSM US