Voluntary Report - public distribution

**Date:** 11/3/2005

**GAIN Report Number:** MX5100

MX0000

**Mexico**

**Poultry and Products**

**Update on Status of Avian Influenza**

**Mexico Lifts Restrictions on Nine U.S. States**

**2005**

**Approved by:**

![](media/image1.wmf)Suzanne E. Heinen

U.S. Embassy Mexico City

**Prepared by:**

Dulce Flores

**Report Highlights:**

On October 4, 2005, the Secretariat of Agriculture in Mexico lifted the
Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI) restrictions on the following U.S.
states: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Missouri, New
Jersey, North Carolina, Texas, and Pennsylvania. Imports of raw poultry
meat for direct consumption, for thermal processing as well as table,
hatching, and specific pathogen-free (SPF) eggs are now eligible from
all U.S. states, except from 11 counties in Texas where restrictions
remain in place in response to a 2004 High Pathogenic Avian Influenza
(HPAI) detection.

Includes PSD Changes: No

Includes Trade Matrix: No

Unscheduled Report

Mexico \[MX1\]

\[MX\]

**MEXICO LIFTS RESTRICTIONS ON POULTRY IMPORTS ON NINE U.S. STATES**

In accordance with the agreement reached by USDA and the Secretariat of
Agriculture (SAGARPA) in early August 2005, Mexico lifted its LPAI
restrictions on nine U.S. states on October 4, 2005. The nine are
California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, North
Carolina, Texas, and Pennsylvania. However, HPAI restrictions continue
on the following Texas counties: Gonzales, Guadalupe, Galdwell, Bastrop,
Fayette, La Vaca, De Witt, Karnes, Wilson, Comal and Hays

Imports of raw poultry meat for direct consumption, for thermal
processing as well as table, hatching, and specific pathogen-free (SPF)
eggs are now eligible from all U.S. states, except the 11 counties from
Texas mentioned above.

As in the past, SAGARPA continues to require that imports of raw poultry
meat for retail sale and eggs be subject to the AGID test. However,
Mexico has also now given the option of using the ELISA tests for AI,
according to the standards established by the International Animal
Health Organization (OIE).

The following table summarizes 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  | **TABLE   | **LIVE |
|            | POULTRY   | POULTRY   | COOKED   | AND       | B      |
|            | DIRECT    | FURTHER   | PR       | HATCHING  | IRDS** |
|            | CO        | P         | ODUCTS** | EGGS**    |        |
|            | NSUMPTION | ROCESSING |          |           |        |
|            | 1/**      | 5/**      |          |           |        |
+------------+-----------+-----------+----------+-----------+--------+
|            |           |           |          |           |        |
+------------+-----------+-----------+----------+-----------+--------+
| Export     | YES       | YES       | YES      | YES       | YES    |
| Status All | **2/**    | **2/**    |          | **2/**    | **2/** |
| U.S.       |           |           |          |           |        |
| States     |           |           |          |           |        |
+------------+-----------+-----------+----------+-----------+--------+
| Required   | YES       | YES       | NO       | YES       | YES    |
| Language   |           |           |          |           |        |
| On         |           |           |          |           |        |
| Cleaning   |           |           |          |           |        |
| And        |           |           |          |           |        |
| Di         |           |           |          |           |        |
| sinfection |           |           |          |           |        |
| Of Trucks  |           |           |          |           |        |
+------------+-----------+-----------+----------+-----------+--------+
| Required   | YES       | YES       | NO       | YES       | YES    |
| Sealing Of |           |           |          |           |        |
| Trucks At  |           |           |          |           |        |
| Point Of   |           |           |          |           |        |
| Origin     |           |           |          |           |        |
+------------+-----------+-----------+----------+-----------+--------+
| Agar Gel   | YES       | NO **6/** | NO       | YES       | YES    |
| or ELISA   |           |           |          | **3/**    | **3/** |
| Test       |           |           |          |           |        |
| Required   |           |           |          |           |        |
+------------+-----------+-----------+----------+-----------+--------+
| Cer        | YES       | YES       | YES      | YES       | YES    |
| tification |           |           |          |           |        |
| Re         |           |           |          |           |        |
| quirements |           |           |          |           |        |
| On END     |           |           |          |           |        |
| **4/**     |           |           |          |           |        |
+------------+-----------+-----------+----------+-----------+--------+
| 1/ SAGARPA |           |           |          |           |        |
| still does |           |           |          |           |        |
| not allow  |           |           |          |           |        |
| 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.    |           |           |          |           |        |
|            |           |           |          |           |        |
| 2/ Imports |           |           |          |           |        |
| are        |           |           |          |           |        |
| prohibited |           |           |          |           |        |
| from the   |           |           |          |           |        |
| following  |           |           |          |           |        |
| Texas      |           |           |          |           |        |
| counties:  |           |           |          |           |        |
| Gonzales,  |           |           |          |           |        |
| Guadalupe, |           |           |          |           |        |
| Galdwell,  |           |           |          |           |        |
| Bastrop,   |           |           |          |           |        |
| Fayette,   |           |           |          |           |        |
| La Vaca,   |           |           |          |           |        |
| De Witt,   |           |           |          |           |        |
| Karnes,    |           |           |          |           |        |
| Wilson,    |           |           |          |           |        |
| Comal and  |           |           |          |           |        |
| Hays, due  |           |           |          |           |        |
| to HPAI.   |           |           |          |           |        |
| Re         |           |           |          |           |        |
| strictions |           |           |          |           |        |
| for LPAI   |           |           |          |           |        |
| were       |           |           |          |           |        |
| lifted for |           |           |          |           |        |
| Co         |           |           |          |           |        |
| nnecticut, |           |           |          |           |        |
| C          |           |           |          |           |        |
| alifornia, |           |           |          |           |        |
| Delaware,  |           |           |          |           |        |
| Maryland,  |           |           |          |           |        |
| Missouri,  |           |           |          |           |        |
| New        |           |           |          |           |        |
| Jersey,    |           |           |          |           |        |
| North      |           |           |          |           |        |
| Carolina,  |           |           |          |           |        |
| Pe         |           |           |          |           |        |
| nnsylvania |           |           |          |           |        |
| and Texas. |           |           |          |           |        |
|            |           |           |          |           |        |
| 3/ Agar    |           |           |          |           |        |
| Gel or     |           |           |          |           |        |
| ELISA      |           |           |          |           |        |
| Tests      |           |           |          |           |        |
| should     |           |           |          |           |        |
| begin 21   |           |           |          |           |        |
| days       |           |           |          |           |        |
| before     |           |           |          |           |        |
| laying and |           |           |          |           |        |
| should     |           |           |          |           |        |
| continue   |           |           |          |           |        |
| on a       |           |           |          |           |        |
| quarterly  |           |           |          |           |        |
| basis.     |           |           |          |           |        |
|            |           |           |          |           |        |
| 4/ END     |           |           |          |           |        |
| statement  |           |           |          |           |        |
| for meat,  |           |           |          |           |        |
| meat       |           |           |          |           |        |
| products   |           |           |          |           |        |
| and by     |           |           |          |           |        |
| p          |           |           |          |           |        |
| roducts. - |           |           |          |           |        |
| "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  |           |           |          |           |        |
| iden       |           |           |          |           |        |
| tification |           |           |          |           |        |
| of         |           |           |          |           |        |
| velogenic  |           |           |          |           |        |
| strains    |           |           |          |           |        |
| through a  |           |           |          |           |        |
| test that  |           |           |          |           |        |
| indicates  |           |           |          |           |        |
| int        |           |           |          |           |        |
| racerebral |           |           |          |           |        |
| pat        |           |           |          |           |        |
| hogenicity |           |           |          |           |        |
| 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,   |           |           |          |           |        |
| or that    |           |           |          |           |        |
| comes from |           |           |          |           |        |
| a country  |           |           |          |           |        |
| free of    |           |           |          |           |        |
| Velogenic  |           |           |          |           |        |
| Newcastle  |           |           |          |           |        |
| Disease. " |           |           |          |           |        |
|            |           |           |          |           |        |
| 5/ Imports |           |           |          |           |        |
| destined   |           |           |          |           |        |
| for        |           |           |          |           |        |
| further    |           |           |          |           |        |
| processing |           |           |          |           |        |
| are only   |           |           |          |           |        |
| approved   |           |           |          |           |        |
| to proceed |           |           |          |           |        |
| to Federal |           |           |          |           |        |
| Inspected  |           |           |          |           |        |
| Plants     |           |           |          |           |        |
| (TIF) and  |           |           |          |           |        |
| non-TIF    |           |           |          |           |        |
| meat       |           |           |          |           |        |
| processing |           |           |          |           |        |
| facilities |           |           |          |           |        |
| authorized |           |           |          |           |        |
| by         |           |           |          |           |        |
| SAGARPA.   |           |           |          |           |        |
|            |           |           |          |           |        |
| 6/ The     |           |           |          |           |        |
| Agar Gel   |           |           |          |           |        |
| test or    |           |           |          |           |        |
| the ELISA  |           |           |          |           |        |
| test will  |           |           |          |           |        |
| be         |           |           |          |           |        |
| required   |           |           |          |           |        |
| for        |           |           |          |           |        |
| imports    |           |           |          |           |        |
| for        |           |           |          |           |        |
| further    |           |           |          |           |        |
| processing |           |           |          |           |        |
| destined   |           |           |          |           |        |
| for animal |           |           |          |           |        |
| co         |           |           |          |           |        |
| nsumption. |           |           |          |           |        |
|            |           |           |          |           |        |
| \*For      |           |           |          |           |        |
| additional |           |           |          |           |        |
| i          |           |           |          |           |        |
| nformation |           |           |          |           |        |
| regarding  |           |           |          |           |        |
| poultry    |           |           |          |           |        |
| meat and   |           |           |          |           |        |
| egg        |           |           |          |           |        |
| products   |           |           |          |           |        |
| exports to |           |           |          |           |        |
| Mexico see |           |           |          |           |        |
| the web    |           |           |          |           |        |
| page       |           |           |          |           |        |
| USDA/F     |           |           |          |           |        |
| SIS/Export |           |           |          |           |        |
| Library at |           |           |          |           |        |
| [ht        |           |           |          |           |        |
| tp://www.f |           |           |          |           |        |
| sis.usda.g |           |           |          |           |        |
| ov](http:/ |           |           |          |           |        |
| /www.fsis. |           |           |          |           |        |
| usda.gov/) |           |           |          |           |        |
| (Export    |           |           |          |           |        |
| Re         |           |           |          |           |        |
| quirements |           |           |          |           |        |
| for meat   |           |           |          |           |        |
| and        |           |           |          |           |        |
| poultry    |           |           |          |           |        |
| products)  |           |           |          |           |        |
+------------+-----------+-----------+----------+-----------+--------+