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Export Requirements for Cuba
CU-44 (Sep 5, 2008)

Asterisks (*) indicate the most recent revision to these requirements. To search, click on your browser's "Edit" menu, then click on "Find (on this page)". Enter "*" in the "Find What" field, then click "Find" or "Find Next" until all asterisks have been identified.

Eligible/Ineligible Products
  1. Eligible Product
    1. Fresh/frozen pork and pork products.
    2. Fresh/frozen poultry and poultry products derived from birds raised or processed in the States other than those indicated in B.
    3. Fresh/frozen beef, offal, beef products including bovine meat ingredients from the following countries: Argentina, Canada, Mexico, Panama, and Uruguay.
    4. Fresh/frozen sheep/goat and sheep/goat products.

    Note: Cuba is a restricted country requiring exporter licensing. Consult the United States Department of Treasury Website for further details.
  2. Ineligible Product
    1. Fresh/frozen poultry derived from birds raised or processed in the following States is not eligible for export to Cuba:

      New Jersey (effective May 16, 2006)
      New York (effective July 13, 2006)
      Idaho (effective September 3, 2008)*

      Poultry from West Virginia is eligible if slaughtered on or after June 8, 2007.

      Poultry from Virginia is eligible if slaughtered on or after September 8, 2007.

      Poultry from Nebraska is eligible if slaughtered on or after October 16, 2007.

      Poultry from North Carolina is eligible if slaughtered on or after March 25, 2008.

      Poultry from Arkansas is eligible if slaughtered on or after July 14, 2008.

Documentation Requirements
  1. Certification of fresh/frozen beef and beef products including liver. Obtain FSIS Form 9060-5, Meat and Poultry Export Certificate of Wholesomeness. Additionally, the following statements must be provided on an FSIS Letterhead Certificate:
    1. The bovine meat or organ meat derives from animals born in the United States or imported legally from Mexico or Canada. Bovine meat ingredients in beef products derive from countries considered eligible by the government of Cuba.
      Las carnes o vísceras bovinas provienen de animales nacidos en los Estados Unidos de América o importados legalmente desde México o Canadá. En el caso de los productos cárnicos, los ingredientes de carne bovina provienen de países aprobados por Cuba.
    2. The United States complies with the conditions in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the OIE as a country that presents a "controlled risk" for bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The method of stunning cattle does not include the use of compressed air or gas injection in the cranial cavity or a pithing process.
      Los Estados Unidos cumplen con las condiciones del Código de Salud de Animales Terrestres de la OIE como un país que presenta un "riesgo controlado" para la encefalopatía espóngiforme bovina. El método para aturdir el ganado no incluye el uso de inyección intracraneal de aire o gas, ni es mediante corte de médula.
    3. The fresh meat, organ meat, and meat products were produced and handled in a manner which ensures that these products do not contain mechanically separated meat from the skull and vertebral column from cattle over 30 months of age.
      Las carnes y vísceras frescas y los productos cárnicos fueron preparados y manipulados de manera que garantiza que no contienen ni están contaminados por carne separada por procedimientos mecánicos del cráneo o de la columna vertebral de bovinos de más de 30 meses de edad.
    4. Meat products which include bovine meat do not contain specified risk materials and all necessary measures were taken during processing to ensure that these did not have contact with specified risk materials, including brain, eyes, trigeminal ganglia, and spinal column (excluding the vertebrae of the tail, the transverse processes of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and the wings of the sacrum), and dorsal root ganglia of animals 30 months of age or older and tonsils and distal ileum from all age animals.
      Los productos cárnicos que incluyen carne bovina, no contienen materiales de riesgo especifico y todas las medidas fueron tomadas durante su procesamiento para asegurar que los mismos no tuvieron contacto con materiales de riesgo especifico, incluyendo cerebro, ojos, ganglio trigémino y columna vertebral (excluyendo las vértebras de la cola, las protuberancias transversas de las vértebras torácicas y lumbares), y ganglios de la raíz dorsal de vacunos de 30 meses de edad o mas meses de edad y amígdalas e ilion distal de todas las edades.
    5. The animals providing the meat products were subjected to both ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection and were found to be apparently healthy, without signs of having a transmissible disease, including brucellosis and tuberculosis.
      Los animales que suplen los productos cárnicos fueron examinados ante-mortem y pos-mortem y encontrados sanos, sin signos de enfermedad transmisible, incluyendo brucelosis y tuberculosis.
  2. Certification of fresh/frozen pork and pork products - Obtain FSIS Form 9060-5, Meat and Poultry Export Certificate of Wholesomeness. Additionally the following statements must be provided on an FSIS Letterhead certificate:
    1. The meat was derived from animals born in the United States or Canada, which are officially declared free of the following diseases: foot and mouth disease, African swine fever, and swine vesicular disease.
    2. The animals from which the meat originates were not slaughtered as a result of any infectious, contagious, or parasitic disease eradication program. The animals from which the meat originates received ante- and post-mortem inspections. These animals were found healthy and free of clinical signs of disease, including brucellosis, tuberculosis, porcine respiratory syndrome and all List A diseases which affect the species and may be carried through meat. The meat is free for sale for human consumption and is deemed by the Official Veterinary Service to not pose a risk of transmission of brucellosis or tuberculosis.
    3. In the case of meat from males, the animals were castrated at least three months prior to slaughter.
    4. The animals from which the meat is derived were not subjected to hormonal, therapeutic or nutritional treatments other than those permitted in the United States.
    5. Based on the National Residue Program, the meat does not contain residues or metabolites of antibiotics or any other therapeutic or prophylactic agents in quantities exceeding established tolerance levels.
    6. The establishments where animals are slaughtered and processed for export are under official supervision by USDA-FSIS.
    7. The animals were subject to ante- and post-mortem inspection by USDA-FSIS. No evidence of cysticercosis was detected. The meat was treated to destroy trichinae according to U.S. regulations in 9 CFR 318.10, with the exception of bacon.
  3. Certification of fresh/frozen poultry and poultry products - Obtain FSIS Form 9060-5, Meat and Poultry Export Certificate of Wholesomeness. Additionally the following statements must be provided on an FSIS Letterhead certificate:
    1. The birds from which the meat was derived originated in the United States.
    2. Based on the United States' National Residue Program, the meat does not contain residues of antibiotics or their metabolites in quantities exceeding the established tolerance levels. Growth-promoting hormones are not approved for use in poultry in the United States.
    3. The farms from which the poultry originated are under the supervision of veterinarians accredited by the Veterinary Services of USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
    4. The United States is free highly pathogenic avian influenza, and egg drop syndrome. The consignment of meat comes from birds which have been kept in an establishment free from Newcastle disease and not situated in a Newcastle disease infected zone and which have been slaughtered in an approved abattoir not situated in a Newcastle disease infected zone and have been inspected ante- and postmortem and did not display signs or injuries compatible with the disease."
    5. The carcasses from which the meat was derived were free from clinical evidence of the following diseases: enzootic encephalomyelitis, Marek's disease, infectious laryngotracheitis, Gumboro disease, chronic respiratory disease, infectious bronchitis and avian encephalomyelitis, ornithosis and avian tuberculosis.
    6. The birds giving origin to the product to be shipped to Cuba presented no evidence of avian influenza.
    7. The product does not originate from States which have had viral activity for any form of \ avian influenza within the past 21 days.  The United States is free of highly pathogenic avian influenza.
    8. Poultry comes from farms which are in good standing with respect to poultry salmonellosis according to the National Poultry Improvement Program, which is the national plan for controlling poultry diseases.
    9. The birds were slaughtered and processed in an establishment approved for export.
    10. The slaughter establishment is under official supervision by USDA-FSIS.
    11. The birds received ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection and were found healthy and fit for human consumption.
    12. Means of transportation were clean and sanitary.
    13. Product temperature requirements were met in accordance with FSIS regulations from slaughter to loading on the designated vessel.
  4. Certification of fresh/frozen sheep/goat and sheep/goat products - Obtain FSIS Form 9060-5, Meat and Poultry Export Certificate of Wholesomeness. Additionally the following statements must be provided on an FSIS Letterhead certificate:
    1. The animals from which the meats originate were born in the United States or were legally imported from Canada, and come from healthy herds under State supervision for the diseases regulated by the State or the United States Department of Agriculture.
      Los animales de donde proceden las carnes nacieron en los Estados Unidos o fueron importados legalmente desde Canadá, y proceden de hatos sanos, bajo supervisión estatal para las enfermedades reguladas por el estado o el Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos.
    2. The United Status has established a system for the surveillance and monitoring of Scrapie and any animals which are found to be affected are excluded from slaughter.
      Los Estados Unidos tiene establecido un sistema de vigilancia y monitoreo para el Scrapie y aquellos animales que resulten positivos son excluidos para su sacrificio en mataderos.
    3. The animals from which the meats originate were subjected to ante and post-mortem inspection by the official veterinary service and found to be apparently healthy without signs of diseases transmissible by meats, including tuberculosis and brucellosis.
      Los animales de donde proceden las carnes fueron sometidos a inspección ante y post-mortem por el servicio veterinario oficial y encontrados aparentemente sanos, sin signos de padecer enfermedades transmisibles por la vía de las carnes, entre otras brucelosis y tuberculosis.
    4. The establishment from which the meats originate is under the supervision of the official veterinary service.
      El establecimiento de donde proceden las carnes está bajo la supervisión del Servicio Veterinario oficial.
    5. Based on the National Residue Program, the meats do not contain residues or metabolites of antibiotics, growth promoters, pesticides or prophylactic or therapeutic drugs at levels which exceed the tolerance limits established.
      Basado en el Programa Nacional de residuos, las carnes no contienen residuos o metabolitos de antibióticos, sustancias promotoras de crecimiento, pesticidas o drogas profilácticas o terapéuticas a niveles que excedan los límites de tolerancia establecidos.
  5. All certificates must be signed by an FSIS veterinarian.

Plants Eligible to Export

All Federally inspected plants are eligible for export to Cuba.

CU-44 (Sep 5, 2008)

 

 

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