The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is providing a notice of evaluation, which proposes to recognize Mexico as free of classical swine fever (CSF). APHIS will also withdraw a previous proposed rule that would have recognized a low-risk CSF region in Mexico. [Source: USDA, August 7, 2017]
The proposed rule that will be withdrawn was published for comment on July 29, 2014. Since it was published, the World Organization for Animal Health recognized Mexico as CSF-free. As a result, Mexico’s government requested that APHIS suspend its rulemaking and instead continue evaluating Mexico’s CSF status. APHIS reopened its evaluation and conducted a site visit in 2015.
Based on the 2015 site visit report, along with updated surveillance data and additional information submitted by Mexico’s government, APHIS determined that current conditions support CSF-free recognition for all of Mexico. This newly proposed action would relieve CSF-specific restrictions on the importation of pork and pork products from Mexico, while continuing to protect the United States against this serious swine disease. However, other animal health concerns related to the import of live swine and swine genetics have not yet been evaluated and will still need to be addressed before live swine and swine genetics may be imported from Mexico.
APHIS is inviting public comments on the evaluation for 60 days. APHIS will then review and consider the comments received and make a final determination, which will be published in a later Federal Register notice.
This evaluation will be available for public comment, beginning tomorrow, in the Federal Register at http://www.regulations.gov. It may be viewed online at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2017-16675.pdf. Written comments can also be submitted through the mail: Docket No. APHIS-2016-0038, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238.
[Editor’s note: NPPC is urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to finalize a regulation that would implement the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) science-based risk assessment that Mexico is free of Classical Swine Fever (CSF). The U.S. pork industry is a strong supporter of free trade and of using epidemiological science and risk analyses to determine if trade can be safely conducted between countries.]