G/SPS/N/USA/3256  
 
16 July 2021  
(21-5665) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES  
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  Dogs (commercial and personally -owned)  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[ ] All trading partners   
[X] Specific regions or countries:  Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, 
Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte d'Ivoire, 
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, 
Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea,  Guinea -Bissau, Kenya, 
Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, 
Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Congo, Rwanda, Sao Tomé and Principe, 
Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, 
Tunisia, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Belize, Bolivia, Plurinational 
State of, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, 
Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela, 
Bolivarian Republic of, Afgh anistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, 
Brunei Darussalam, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, 
Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, the State of, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao People's Democratic 
Republic, Lebanese Republic, Malaysia, Moldova, Republic of, Mongolia, Myanmar, 
Nepal, Korea, Democratic People's Republic of, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, 
Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of, Sri Lanka, Syrian Arab Republic, 
Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor -Leste, Turkey, Turkmenist an, Ukraine, United Arab 
Emirates, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, Yemen.  
The above referenced countries are at high -risk for canine rabies (dog rabies). Information 
is also available at: https://www.cdc.gov/importation/bringing -an-animal -into-the-united -
states/high -risk.html . 
5. Title of the notified document:  Notice of Temporary Suspension of Dogs Entering the 
United States from High -Risk Rabies Countries . Language(s): English . Number of 
pages: 9 
https://www.govinf o.gov/content/pkg/FR -2021-06-16/pdf/2021 -12418.pdf  
6. Description of content:  Effective 14 July 2021 the United States Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention is temporarily suspending the importation of dogs from high -risk 
rabies -enzootic countries in to the United States.  
7. Objective and rationale: [  ] food safety, [X]  animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[X] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  G/SPS/N/USA/3256  
 
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  8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:  The United States 
was declared dog rabies -free in 2007 by CDC. Between January and December 2020 
(during the COVID -19 pandemic), CDC documen ted more than 450 instances of 
incomplete, inadequate, or fraudulent rabies vaccination certificates for dogs arriving from 
high-risk countries, an increase from previous years. Most of these cases resulted in the 
dogs being denied entry into the United St ates and returned to their countries of origin. 
The increase in the number of dogs inadequately vaccinated against rabies has created an 
animal and public health risk.  
9. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex  Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[X] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) : OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code, 
8.14. CDC standards align with those established by other rabies free countries.  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
10. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/resources/countries -risk.html  (available in English)  
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable):  
14 July 2021 (Comment period closes 12 September 2021.)  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [  ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
CDC Animal Imports: dgmqpolicyoffice@cdc.gov  
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [  ] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2021-06-16/pdf/2021 -12418.pdf