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Abby Yigzaw (301)851-4096
Lyndsay Cole (970) 494-7410
APHIS Proposes New Bovine Import Regulations in Line with International Animal Health Standards
Proposal Aims to Ensure Health of the U.S. Beef Herd, Assist in Negotiations
WASHINGTON, March 9, 2012--The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced today it is seeking public review and comment on a proposal to complete efforts to modernize the Agency’s import regulations for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
“This proposal is an important step forward in our efforts to bring our import regulations in line with science-based, international animal health standards,” said Dr. John Clifford, APHIS Deputy Administrator and Chief Veterinary Officer. “The proposal will help ensure we continue to provide strong protections against BSE, continue to make science-based decisions, and fully support safe trade in bovine commodities. As we continue to protect the health of the U.S. cattle industry, this proposal will also assist us in future negotiations to reopen important trade markets that remain closed to U.S. beef.”
While the proposed rule would allow for the safe trade of additional bovines and bovine products, it’s important to note that control of imports is only one of several interlocking safeguards against BSE. The proposed rule would not change other measures that are currently in place in the United States. For animal health, these measures include the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban and a robust BSE surveillance program. Human health is protected by measures that ensure the safety of U.S. beef, the most important of which is the ban on animal materials that have been shown to carry the BSE agent (known as specified risk materials) from the food supply.
Under the proposed rule, APHIS would adopt the same criteria and categories that the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) uses to identify a country’s BSE risk status—negligible, controlled, and undetermined risk. APHIS would base its import policy for a particular country on that country’s risk classification as determined by OIE’s risk evaluation. The rule would also allow APHIS to conduct its own assessment when deemed necessary, such as when a country is not yet classified by the OIE for BSE risk and requests that APHIS conduct a risk evaluation using criteria equivalent to that used by OIE. All countries would be considered by APHIS to have an undetermined BSE risk unless officially recognized as either negligible or controlled risk.
The OIE determines a country’s risk status based on actions the country has taken to manage the risk of the disease. These actions include instituting a strong ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban, strictly controlling imports of animals and animal products from countries of undetermined risk, and conducting appropriate surveillance.
The OIE Code, which is based on the latest science and current knowledge concerning BSE, provides guidelines for the safe trade of animals and products based on the country’s risk status and the risk presented by the specific item being traded. For example, under the Code, boneless beef is considered to be lower risk and could be safely imported regardless of the BSE status of the exporting country. Live animals, however, present a higher risk and the OIE guidelines recommend that import requirements be applied depending on the BSE risk classification of the exporting country. In the United States, imported commodities would also need to meet entry requirements for other diseases, where applicable.
This action is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register within a week. The proposed rule is currently available at www.aphis.usda.gov.
Consideration will be given to comments received within 60 days of the rule’s publication in the Federal Register. Send two copies of postal mail or commercial delivery comments to Docket No. APHIS-2008-0010, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. If you wish to submit a comment using the Internet go to the Federal eRulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov/
fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2008-0010. This link will be active upon the rule’s publication in the Federal Register.
Comments are posted on the Reglations.gov website and may also be reviewed at USDA, Room 1141, South Building, 14th St. and Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. To facilitate entry into the comment reading room, please call (202) 690-2817.
Currently, U.S. agriculture is experiencing one of its best period in history thanks to the productivity, resiliency, and resourcefulness of our farmers and ranchers. The work of APHIS helps safeguard our nation’s agriculture, fishing and forestry industries from unwanted pests, disease and unjustified trade restrictions. For example, to promote the health of U.S. agricultural exports, APHIS develops and advances science-based standards with trading partners to ensure our farm exports, valued at more than $137 billion annually, are protected from unjustified barriers. Strong agricultural exports are a positive contribution to the U.S. trade balance, support more than 1 million American jobs and boost economic growth.
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