WORLD TRADE G/SPS/N/NZL/6
11July1996
ORGANIZATION
(96-2724)
Committee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures
NOTIFICATION
1. Member toAgreement notifying: NEW ZEALAND
Ifapplicable, name oflocal government involved:
2. Agency responsible: Ministry ofAgriculture (MAF Regulatory Authority)
3. Products covered (tariff item number(s) asspecified innational schedules deposited with
theWTO. ICSnumbers may beprovided inaddition, where applicable): Pigsemen
from theUnited States ofAmerica
4. Title andnumber ofpages ofthenotified document: Draft import health standard for
theimportation offrozen porcine semen intoNewZealand from theUnited States of
America (16pages)
5. Description ofcontent:
MAF hasreviewed import health conditions fortheimportation ofpigsemen into
NewZealand from theUSA following aquantitative riskanalysis examining therisks
ofintroduction ofporcine reproductive andrespiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus through
theimportation ofpigsemen. NewZealand isfreeofPRRS virus. TheOIEhasnot
made recommendations forcountries freeofPRRS during importation ofpigsemen or
livepigs. Itiswidely recognized thatPRRS virus istransmissible bysemen.
Theriskanalysis hasexamined therisk-reducing effect ofvarious proposed risk
management strategies, aftergathering dataonimportant aspects ofepidemiology ofthe
virus suchastheestimated prevalence intheUSA, theuseofvaccination, thecarrier
status ofinfected boars, shedding ofthevirus insemen, anddetection ofinfection by
serological methods andPCRtechniques.
Theimport health standard adopts theriskmanagement strategy recommended bythe
riskanalysis, which includes isolation ofdonor boars withsentinels during introduction
tosemen-collection centres. Therisksofother pigdiseases transmissible bysemen
endemic totheUSA, from which NewZealand isfree,arealsomanaged within the
import health standard.
6. Objective andrationale: Animal health
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7. Aninternational standard, guideline orrecommendation does notexist [X].
Ifaninternational standard, guideline orrecommendation exists, whenever possible,
identify deviations:
8. Relevant documents andlanguage(s) inwhich these areavailable: Draft import health
standard fortheimportation offrozen porcine semen intoNewZealand from the
United States ofAmerica (English)
9. Proposed date ofadoption: 13September 1996
10. Proposed date ofentry intoforce: 13September 1996
11. Final date forcomments: 23August 1996 ifnocomments orrequests forextension of
thetimelimitarereceived; otherwise 6September 1996.
Agency orauthority designated tohandle comments: Ministry ofAgriculture Regulatory
Authority
12. Texts available from: National enquiry point [X]oraddress, telefax number andE-mail
address (ifavailable) ofother body: