. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/NZL/251
18 July 2003
(03-3895)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   NEW ZEALAND
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF)
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):  Chicken hatching eggs from Canada and the United States of America
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:
Canada and the United States of America
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Import health standard
for the importation of chicken hatching eggs into New Zealand from Canada and the UnitedStates of America (available in English 8 pages)
6. Description of content:  It is proposed that the USA be added to the current import health
standard which allows for the importation chicken hatching eggs from Canada.  It has been
determined that the safeguards applied to hatching eggs from Canada are applicable to
hatching eggs from the USA, as the poultry health status of the two countries are
equivalent.  The proposed import health standa rd includes the following safeguards against
diseases of concern:
1. The birds from which the eggs have been obtained must have been hatched in, or have
been in, the country for at least six months and during this time have not had any
contact with imported birds.
2. The eggs must be clean and must have been fumigated.
3. The eggs must be placed into spill proof containers and sealed by a full-time
government veterinary officer into clean and disinfected crates before despatch.
7. Objective and rationale:  [    ] food safety, [ X ] animal health, [   ] plant protection,
[   ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or  disease, [   ] protect territory from other
damage from pests
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[   ] International Plant Prot ection Convention, [ X ] None
If an international standard, guidelin e or recommendation exists, give the
appropriate reference and briefly identify deviations:G/SPS/N/NZL/251
Page 2
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Standard 154.02.05
Standard for Avian Transitional Facilities
10. Proposed date of adoption:   11 August 2003
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   11 August 2003
12. Final date for comments:  29 August 2003
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification
authority, [   ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:
Rachel Gordon, National Adviser internationa l Animal Trade, Animal Biosecurity Group,
MAF Biosecurity Authority, PO Box 2526, Wellington, New Zealand; Tel: (+64) 4 4989807,
Fax: (+64) 4 474 4227, e-mail: gor donr@maf.govt.nz
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notification authority, [   ] National enquiry point,
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Ms Sally Griffin, Coordinator, SPS New Zealand, PO Box 2526, 101-103 The Terrace,
Wellington, New Zealand.  Tel:  + 64 4 474 4140;  Fax:  +64 4 470 2730;
E-mail:  sps@maf.govt.nz
Website:  www.maf.govt.nz/biosecurity/sps/transparency/notifications/index.htm