(a) Entry of covers (including bags, slit bags, and parts of bags) which have been used as containers for cotton grown or processed in countries other than the United States may be authorized either (1) through a Mexican border port named in the permit for vacuum fumigation by an approved method in that part of the United States within the generally infested pink bollworm regulated area; or (2) through a northern port or a port in the State of California subject to vacuum fumigation by an approved method or without vacuum fumigation when the covers are to be moved to an approved mill or plant for utilization. When such covers are forwarded from a northern port to a mill or plant in California for utilization, or from a California port to another California or northern port for vacuum fumigation thereat or for movement to a mill or plant for utilization such movement shall be made by an all-water route unless the bales are compressed to a density of 20 pounds or more per cubic foot in which case the bales may be moved overland in van-type trucks or box cars if all-water transportation is not available. Such overland movement may be made only after approved surface treatment or under such other conditions as may be deemed necessary and are prescribed by the inspector. When such covers arrive at a port other than a northern, California, or Mexican border port they will be required to be transported therefrom immediately in bond by an all-water route to a northern or California port where approved vacuum fumigation facilities are available for vacuum fumigation thereat by an approved method or for forwarding therefrom to an approved mill or plant for utilization.

(b) American cotton bagging, commonly known as coarse gunny, which has been used to cover only cotton grown or processed in the United States, may be authorized entry at any port under permit and upon compliance with §§ 319.8-4 and 319.8-5, without fumigation or other treatment. Marking patches of the finer burlaps or other fabrics when attached to bales of such bagging may be disregarded if, in the judgment of the inspector, they do not present a risk of carrying live pink bollworms, golden nematode cysts or flag smut spores.

(c) Bags, slit bags, parts of bags, and other covers which have been used as containers for root crops or are of a kind ordinarily used as containers for root crops may be authorized entry subject to immediate treatment in such manner and according to such method as the inspector may select from administratively authorized procedures known to be effective under the conditions under which the treatment is applied, and subject to any additional safeguard measures that may be prescribed by the inspector pursuant to § 319.8-24, or that he may prescribe in regard to the manner of discharge from the carrier and conveyance to the place of treatment: Provided, That such covers may be authorized entry from Canada without treatment as prescribed in this paragraph unless the covers are found to be contaminated.

(d) Bags, slit bags, parts of bags, and other covers that have been used as containers for wheat or wheat products that have not been so processed as to have destroyed all flag smut disease spores, or that have been used as containers for field seeds separated from wheat during the process of screening, and which arrive from a country named in § 319.59-2(a)(2) of this part, if intended for reuse in this country as grain containers may be authorized entry, subject to immediate treatment at the port of arrival. If such covers are not intended to be reused in this country as grain containers their entry may be authorized subject to movement for utilization to an approved mill or plant the owner or operator of which has executed an appropriate agreement with the Plant Protection and Quarantine Programs similar to that described in § 319.8-8(a)(2). Covers coming within this paragraph only, may be entered without permit other than the authorization provided in this paragraph and without other restriction under this subpart upon presentation to an inspector of satisfactory evidence that they have been used only for grains exported from the United States and are being returned empty without use abroad and that while abroad they have been handled in a manner to prevent their contamination.

(e) When upon arrival at a port of entry any shipment of bags, slit bags, parts of bags, or other covers, is found to include one or more bales containing material the importation of which is regulated by paragraph (a), (c), or (d) of this section, the entire shipment, or any portion thereof, may be required by the inspector to be treated as specified in the applicable paragraph.

(f) If upon their arrival at a port of entry covers are classified by the inspector as coming within more than one paragraph of this section, they will be authorized entry only upon compliance with such requirements of the applicable paragraphs as the inspector may deem necessary to prevent the introduction of plant diseases and insect pests.

(g) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other paragraph of this section the entry from any country of bags, slit bags, parts of bags, and other covers will be authorized without treatment but upon compliance with other applicable sections of this subpart if the inspector finds that they have obviously not been used in a manner that would contaminate them or when in the inspector's opinion there is otherwise no plant pest risk associated with their entry.