Voluntary Report - public distribution

**Date:** 4/07/2004

**GAIN Report Number:** MX4048

MX0000

**Mexico**

**Poultry and Products**

**Poultry Ban Partially Lifted -- Update #2**

**2004**

**Approved by:**

![](media/image1.wmf)William L. Brant

Mexico City

**Prepared by:**

Dulce Flores

**Report Highlights:**

The Government of Mexico (GOM) continues to modify the import
requirements for poultry products. On March 17, the GOM amended import
requirements for poultry meat for the border region. A few days later,
the GOM allowed imports of other products like turkey poults for
repopulation of commercial farms and hatching eggs for repopulation of
commercial broiler and table egg commercial farms (baby chicks, turkeys
poults and hatching eggs grand-parent and parent stock repopulation had
been granted earlier). The GOM has also recently allowed imports of
poultry carcasses and bone-in turkey thigh meat for processing.

Includes PSD Changes: No

Includes Trade Matrix: No

Unscheduled Report

Mexico \[MX1\]

\[MX\]

# AMENDMENTS FOR POULTRY MEAT IMPORTS FOR THE BORDER 

On March 17, 2004, the Secretariat of Agriculture (SAGARPA) announced
amendments to the import sanitary requirement sheet (Hoja de Requisitos
Zoosanitarios\--HRZ) for poultry meat for the retail market for the
border region, reported in MX 4038. First, SAGARPA changed the term
\"border region\" (region fronteriza) to \"border strip\" (franja
fronteriza) or the international border with the United States plus a 20
km parallel line inside Mexico, including a portion of the State of
Sonora to the Gulf of Mexico. Second, SAGARPA indicated that the ports
of Matamoros, and Puerto Morelos (Cancun, usually considered part of the
"border strip") were no longer eligible because SAGARPA has no
appropriate sanitary inspection facilities for meat products.

The ports of entry are currently: Tijuana, Baja California; Mexicali,
Baja California; San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora; Nogales, Sonora; Juarez,
Chihuahua; Colombia, Nuevo Leon; Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas; and Reynosa,
Tamaulipas.

# AMENDMENTS FOR POULTRY MEAT IMPORTS FOR THERMAL PROCESSING

In a meeting between Mexico and U.S. Veterinary Officials on March 31,
2004, the GOM agreed to modify some import requirements for poultry
products. SAGARPA agreed to change the testing window for the 59
serological samples to test for avian influenza from a period of 2 to 3
weeks, to a period of zero to 21 days before slaughter. The first HRZ to
be issued with the changes was for mechanically de-boned chicken and
turkey meat and de-boned turkey thigh meat for thermal processing. Also,
SAGARPA allowed for more time to comply with this requirement which will
now be enforced on April 10, 2004.

Another HRZ was issued later to allow imports of poultry carcass for
thermal processing. However, the 59 serological samples to be tested for
AI testing window change agreed upon is not reflected in the text, and
the sample taking of *"2 to 3 weeks days before slaughter"* language is
still there. SAGARPA is allowing more time to comply with this test for
this product as requirements will apply on April 20, 2004. On April 7,
2004, SAGARPA allowed imports of bone-in turkey thigh meat for
processing. There again the 2-3 week window remains.

# DUCK MEAT IMPORTS 

On March 29, 2004, SAGARPA allowed duck meat imports. A requirement of
concern is that serological random samples should be tested for avian
influenza within a period of two to three weeks before slaughter using
both: the Agar Gel precipitation test and Hemaglutination Inhibition
(HI) test for the subtype H5N2. The sampling with the HI test will apply
on April 16, 2004.

# CONCERNS FOR HATCHING EGGS AND THREE-DAY-OLD CHICKS IMPORTS

Until recently, SAGARPA had only issued the import requirement sheets,
HRZ, for grand-parent and parent stock for chicks, turkey poults, and
hatching eggs. The Mexican poultry industry had meetings with SAGARPA
officials to request the addition of chicks, turkey chicks, and hatching
egg for commercial broiler and table egg repopulation, since many
domestic producers are dependent on these imports. On March 25, 2004,
SAGARPA issued the HRZ's for hatching eggs including repopulation of
commercial broiler and table egg commercial farms, a new HRZ for
three-day-old chicks for grand-parent and parent stock purposes, and
three-day-old chicks and turkey poults for grand-parent and parent
stock, and repopulation of commercial farms. SAGARPA now added that the
HI test will be required for subtype H5N2 for the three products.

Another requirement of concern is that farms and hatcheries that export
to Mexico have to be approved by SAGARPA. To that end, the government
requested that each U.S. farm and hatchery fill out a questionnaire
relating to risk assessment that has to be submitted by April 7, 2004.
Accordingly, farms and hatcheries that submit their questionnaire will
continue to export until the corresponding evaluation is done by
SAGARPA. The Mexican processing industry is concerned that if the
questionnaires are not submitted by U.S. producers or not submitted on
time, their ability to source the products they need could be hurt.

An additional requirement change of concern, that falls within the
importer are the requirements while under quarantine for imported
hatching eggs and three-day-old chicks and poults after crossing the
border. Now, SAGARPA requires a serological test of 59 samples to
diagnose AI using the using the AGAR gel precipitation test and
hemaglutination inhibition (HI) test subtype H5N2.

## OTHER RESTRICTIONS

Imports of uncooked poultry and poultry products continue to be banned
from the states of Texas, Maine, Virginia, Connecticut, Pennsylvania,
North Carolina, West Virginia, California, Arizona, Nevada, Delaware,
New Jersey and Maryland. Status on restrictions to import AI and END
states remain in place as reported in MX 4038.

The following table summarizes some of the regulations that are
currently being implemented by the Mexican government for U.S. live
poultry and poultry meat exports.

## REGULATIONS FOR POULTRY AND POULTRY PRODUCTS EXPORTS

+------------+----------+-----------+----------+-----------+--------+
| [Item]{.   | [Raw     | [Raw      | [Fully   | [Hatching | [Three |
| smallcaps} | Poultry  | poultry   | Cooked   | Eggs]{.s  | Day    |
|            | for      | Further   | Produ    | mallcaps} | Old    |
|            | Ret      | Proce     | cts]{.sm |           | C      |
|            | ail]{.sm | ssing]{.s | allcaps} |           | hicks] |
|            | allcaps} | mallcaps} |          |           | {.smal |
|            |          |           |          |           | lcaps} |
|            | [to      |           |          |           |        |
|            | border   |           |          |           |        |
|            | ar       |           |          |           |        |
|            | eas]{.sm |           |          |           |        |
|            | allcaps} |           |          |           |        |
+============+==========+===========+==========+===========+========+
| [END       | [NO]{.sm | [NO]{.s   | [        | [NO]{.s   | [NO]   |
| states     | allcaps} | mallcaps} | YES]{.sm | mallcaps} | {.smal |
| export     |          |           | allcaps} |           | lcaps} |
| status]{.  |          |           |          |           |        |
| smallcaps} |          |           |          |           |        |
+------------+----------+-----------+----------+-----------+--------+
| [AI states | [NO]{.sm | [NO]{.s   | [        | [NO]{.s   | [NO]   |
| export     | allcaps} | mallcaps} | YES]{.sm | mallcaps} | {.smal |
| status]{.  |          |           | allcaps} |           | lcaps} |
| smallcaps} |          |           |          |           |        |
+------------+----------+-----------+----------+-----------+--------+
| [Required  | [        | [YES]{.s  | [NO]{.sm | [YES]{.s  | [YES]  |
| language   | YES]{.sm | mallcaps} | allcaps} | mallcaps} | {.smal |
| on         | allcaps} |           |          |           | lcaps} |
| cleaning   |          |           |          |           |        |
| and        |          |           |          |           |        |
| di         |          |           |          |           |        |
| sinfection |          |           |          |           |        |
| of         |          |           |          |           |        |
| trucks]{.  |          |           |          |           |        |
| smallcaps} |          |           |          |           |        |
+------------+----------+-----------+----------+-----------+--------+
| [Required  | [        | [YES]{.s  | [NO]{.sm | [YES]{.s  | [YES]  |
| sealing of | YES]{.sm | mallcaps} | allcaps} | mallcaps} | {.smal |
| trucks at  | allcaps} |           |          |           | lcaps} |
| point of   |          |           |          |           |        |
| origin]{.  |          |           |          |           |        |
| smallcaps} |          |           |          |           |        |
+------------+----------+-----------+----------+-----------+--------+
| [Agar Gel  | [        | [YES]{.s  | [NO]{.sm | [YES]{.s  | [YES]  |
| test       | YES]{.sm | mallcaps} | allcaps} | mallcaps} | {.smal |
| r          | allcaps} |           |          |           | lcaps} |
| equired]{. |          |           |          |           |        |
| smallcaps} |          |           |          |           |        |
+------------+----------+-----------+----------+-----------+--------+
| [Hemag     | [NO]{.sm | [NO]{.s   | [NO]{.sm | [YES]{.s  | [YES]  |
| lutination | allcaps} | mallcaps} | allcaps} | mallcaps} | {.smal |
| Inhibition |          |           |          |           | lcaps} |
| Test]{.    |          |           |          |           |        |
| smallcaps} |          |           |          |           |        |
+------------+----------+-----------+----------+-----------+--------+
| [Cer       | [        | [YES]{.s  | [        | [YES]{.s  | [YES]  |
| tification | YES]{.sm | mallcaps} | YES]{.sm | mallcaps} | {.smal |
| re         | allcaps} |           | allcaps} |           | lcaps} |
| quirements |          |           |          |           |        |
| on         |          |           |          |           |        |
| END]{.     |          |           |          |           |        |
| smallcaps} |          |           |          |           |        |
+------------+----------+-----------+----------+-----------+--------+

SAGARPA had previously suspended imports of bone-in chicken leg quarters
for further processing to the interior of Mexico because of concerns
about products being diverted to the retail market. Currently, all
retail imports to the interior or Mexico are banned.

The four states affected by END are: Texas, California, Nevada and
Arizona. All END affected states are not eligible to store or
consolidate raw product for direct human consumption or further
processing. However SAGARPA recently allowed five warehouses in Texas to
conduct trailer switching operations between U.S. and Mexican trucks.

There are eleven states affected by AI: Maine, Connecticut, Texas,
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, California,
Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland.

Test should begin two or three weeks before laying and should continue
on a quarterly basis.

Statement for meat, meat products and by products. - "That the product
comes from flocks that have a monitoring program of 70 birds that began
after 12 days of age, using viral isolation tests and identification of
velogenic strains through a test that indicates intracerebral
pathogenicity in chicks of one day of age and that is carried out for
each lot that is delivered for slaughter, obtaining negative results for
Velogenic Newcastle disease." (Check the different import requirement
sheets for specific products)

Imports are only approved to proceed to Federal Inspected Plants (TIF)
and non-TIF meat processing facilities. An official Veterinary Doctor
will accompany the shipment through all the import and distribution
process. This only applies to mechanically de-boned chicken and turkey
and de-boned turkey thigh meat, and poultry carcass as specified in
Mexico's import requirements. Other products for further processing are
currently banned.

AGAR gel tests will be required by the border inspectors as of April 10,
2004, except for carcasses and bone-in turkey thigh meat, which have
until April 20, 2004.

Sampling with the HI test subtype H5N2 will be required as of April 5,
2004. Test should begin two or three weeks before laying and should
continue on a quarterly basis.

There is an specific HRZ to imports three-day-old chicks for parent
and/or breeding stock farms purposes and another to repopulate broiler
commercial farms. There is one HRZ to import three-day-old turkey poults
for parent and/or breeding stock farms and to repopulate broiler
commercial farms. Farms and hatcheries have to be approved by SAGARPA.
To that end, the government has requested the completion of a
questionnaire from each poultry farm and hatchery to be eligible to
export to Mexico. The deadline for this requirement is April 7, 2004.
Farms and hatcheries that submit their questionnaire will continue to
export for about 15 more days until the corresponding evaluation is done
by SAGARPA. Imports are only allowed for hatching eggs laid on or after
March 5, 2004. Imports are only allowed for chicks and turkeys poults
that were born on or after March 5, 2004.