RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/SPS/N/USA/37
2May1996
ORGANIZATION
(96-1708)
Committee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures
NOTIFICATION
1. Member toAgreement notifying: UNITED STATES
Ifapplicable, name oflocal government involved:
2. Agency responsible: Department ofAgriculture, Animal andPlant Health Inspection
Service
3. Products covered (tariff itemnumber(s) asspecified innational schedules deposited
withtheWTO. ICSnumbers maybeprovided inaddition, where applicable):
Imported animals andanimal products
4. Title andnumber ofpages ofthenotified document: Importation ofAnimals and
Animal Products (127pages)
5. Description ofcontent: TheAgency proposes toamend theregulations concerning
importation ofanimals andanimal products. Theproposed changes include acomplete
rewrite of9CFR Part92,Subparts D(Ruminants) andE(Swine), atransfer ofcurrent
Part92to9CFR Part93,andtheestablishment ofanewPart92.Weareproposing
toestablish criteria forforeign "regions" based onriskclasslevels. Thecriteria would
beusedtoestablish importation requirements forparticular animals andanimal
products from different regions outside oftheUnited States. Webelieve thischange is
inaccordance withInternational Trade Agreements entered intobytheUnited States.
Wearealsoproposing toallow, under certain conditions, theunloading andreloading
attheportofarrival ofmeatandother animal products otherwise prohibited entry into
theUnited States.
6. Objective andrationale: Theproposed regulations areintended topreserve and
expand USmarkets abroad andencourage safeandflexible movements ofanimal
related commodities intotheUnited States from various regions oftheworld. They
willfacilitate trade, protect USlivestock, andwildlife populations from exotic diseases
andparasites, andfulfil USobligations toInternational Trade Agreements. They
replace regulations thatarenolonger contemporary.
./.G/SPS/N/USA/37
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7. Aninternational standard, guideline orrecommendation doesnotexist[].
Ifaninternational standard, guideline orrecommendation exists, whenever
possible, identify deviations: Webelieve theproposed regulations areinharmony
withSection 1.4oftheInternational Animal Health Code promulgated bythe
International Office ofEpizootics (OIE). Section 1.4deals withriskanalysis and
regionalization.
8. Relevant documents: 61FR16978, 18April 1996; 9CFR Parts 92,93,94,95,96
and98
9. Proposed dateofadoption andentry intoforce: Theproposed dateofadoption and
entry intoforce issometime inlate1996 orearly 1997.
10. Final dateforcomments: 17July1996
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point []oraddress andtelefax number of
other body:
USDA/FAS/OFSTS
Attn: Carolyn F.Wilson
Room 5545 South Agriculture Building
14thandIndependence
Washington, D.C. 20250
Tel: (202) 720-2239
Fax: (202) 690-0677