As international travel increases, the Swine Health Information Center offers a reminder to report production agriculture traveler experiences while entering the US and going through customs. Some travelers who self-reported visits to livestock production sites have not been diverted to customs agriculture specialists for secondary screening. SHIC, along with the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, National Pork Board, and NPPC, ask international travelers to report if they were not diverted for secondary screening upon arrival in the US.
During World Pork Expo 2023, US Customs and Border Protection representatives shared their experience and protocols to lessen these occurrences. All international travelers returning to the US, or those arriving from other countries, after visiting a farm or being in contact with animals in an ASFV-positive country, or country with any other foreign animal disease, should be aware of the expected protocol. These persons should declare this information to US CBP via written form, airport kiosk, verbally, or through the CBP’s Mobile Passport Control app.
Protection of domestic pork production begins at each US point of entry. CBP’s four-legged protection team, Agriculture Canines (Ag K9), provides daily monitoring to stop foreign pork products from entering the country. Two CBP representatives, along with Ozcar, a member of the beagle brigade, shared how they approach their role of protecting the US pork industry during World Pork Expo 2023.
Ozcar and his CBP handler performed a demonstration with luggage and showed how the beagle signals to where the contraband food items are located. While saying Ozcar’s favorite item to detect is pork, which he found in a suitcase wrapped in plastic, his handler also showed him finding limes in a different suitcase. Those limes were also wrapped in a plastic grocery bag inside the luggage.
Ozcar’s handler said the beagle works passenger facing flights coming into Chicago. Based on the CBP representative’s report, the interdiction program prevents the entry of many prohibited products every day. CBP ag specialists and the beagle brigade continue to provide a high level of service to protect US agriculture with their efforts. CBP is publishing a real-time interdiction dashboard at https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/agriculture-enforcement-statistics, where they report their agriculture enforcement statistics.
If you are NOT diverted for secondary screening after declaring you have been on a farm or in contact with animals in an ASF or other foreign animal disease positive nation, please email the following to psundberg@swinehealth.org:
- Your name (optional – please specify if you do NOT want your name shared)
- Country (or countries) visited
- Date and time of return
- Airline and flight number
- Arrival airport
- Declaration method (written form, kiosk, or verbal)
- Customs and Border Patrol employee name, if possible (displayed on right side of shirt)
- Any other pertinent circumstances
SHIC aggregates this information so SHIC, AASV, NPB, and NPPC can share it with CBP to help identify areas for continued focus.
The Swine Health Information Center, launched in 2015 with Pork Checkoff funding, protects and enhances the health of the US swine herd by minimizing the impact of disease threats through preparedness, coordinated communications, global disease monitoring, analysis of swine health data, and targeted research investments. As a conduit of information and research, SHIC encourages sharing of its publications and research. Forward, reprint, and quote SHIC material freely. For more information, visit http://www.swinehealth.org or contact Dr. Paul Sundberg at psundberg@swinehealth.org or Dr. Megan Niederwerder at mniederwerder@swinehealth.org.